Alberta West News: Indigenous History of Waskasoo Seepee

Waskasoo Seepee carries deep Indigenous roots as the Cree name for what colonizers mistranslated as the "Red Deer River." The name wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy means "Elk River" in the Cree language, reflecting the abundance of elk (wapiti) that gathered along its banks for thousands of years. The region surrounding this vital waterway holds a rich and complex Indigenous history spanning millennia, serving as traditional territory, a gathering place, and ultimately a boundary between treaty lands.onthisspot+3

The Naming Confusion

The name "Red Deer" arose from a misunderstanding by British fur traders unfamiliar with North American wildlife. When Cree people told them about the river being wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy ("Elk River"), the traders mistakenly believed the local elk were the same species as the European red deer they knew from Scotland. Despite this colonial error, the name "Red Deer" persisted and eventually became the name for Alberta's third-largest city.wikipedia+3

The modern Cree name for the city of Red Deer is mihkwâpisimosos, a calque (direct translation) of the English name meaning "red type of deer". However, the river itself is still properly called wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy or "elk river" in Cree. The name "Waskasoo" was officially adopted by Red Deer City Council in 1911 to honor the Indigenous history of the land, and today the extensive Waskasoo Park system—with over 110 kilometers of trails—carries this name through the heart of the city.creedictionary+5

Traditional Territory and Treaty Lands

The Red Deer River region represents the ancestral territory of multiple Indigenous Nations. The area is recognized as significant territory of the Cree (nêhiyawak) and Blackfoot (Niitsitapi, including the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai), as well as the Stoney Nakoda, Tsuu T'ina, Métis, Saulteaux, and Dene peoples.engage.reddeer+3

The Red Deer River holds profound significance as it marks the boundary between two major treaty territories. Indigenous peoples north of the river entered into Treaty 6 in 1876, while those south of the river signed Treaty 7 in 1877. This division reflected a peace agreement negotiated between the Cree and Blackfoot Confederacy just years before the numbered treaties.rdrn+4

The Great Peace of 1871

Before European treaties defined boundaries, the Cree and Blackfoot peoples themselves established the Red Deer River as a boundary through their own diplomatic negotiations. After decades of conflict, both nations faced what could be termed "mutually assured destruction"—the Blackfoot had acquired repeating rifles, and it was inevitable the Cree would obtain them as well.thestarphoenix

In the summer of 1871, emissaries from both sides met and exchanged tobacco, requesting a peace meeting. The two nations gathered at the Bear Hills north of the Red Deer River to negotiate. The chiefs agreed to several key terms: all hostilities would cease; the Red Deer River would form the boundary between the two nations from the Rocky Mountains to Bull's Forehead (a butte at the confluence of the South Saskatchewan and Red Deer rivers); and the Cypress Hills would remain open to all who wanted to winter camp there.thestarphoenix

The peace was sealed with a pipe ceremony, followed by a dramatic ritual. Warriors from both nations mounted their horses and formed two long lines across the prairie about a kilometer apart. Someone gave the war whoop, and the two groups galloped toward each other. When they met, they dismounted and shook hands, pledging to end the war and not fight again. This Indigenous-negotiated boundary was later incorporated into the colonial treaty system.thestarphoenix

By the 1870s, the Blackfoot had given up the North Saskatchewan and Battle River territory under pressure from well-armed Cree peoples and tended to hunt in the region near the Red Deer and Bow Rivers. This made the Red Deer River a natural dividing line between the two powerful confederacies.rcaanc-cirnac

Ancient Occupation and Archaeological Evidence

The Red Deer River valley has been occupied by Indigenous peoples since shortly after the last glacial period, though comprehensive archaeological research in the area has been limited. A 1975 survey of the lower Red Deer River from the Saskatchewan border to Blood Indian Creek documented 693 archaeological sites, providing evidence of extensive prehistoric occupation.open.alberta

Archaeological work has revealed stone feature types including ceremonial sites in the Red Deer-South Saskatchewan region, with evidence of Old Women's Phase occupation dating back centuries. The river valley and surrounding areas contain evidence of camps, hunting sites, workshops, and lookouts associated with grasslands on middle and low elevation terraces. Stone tools and lithic artifacts found throughout the region demonstrate sophisticated technological knowledge and extensive trade networks.gov+2

Recent research on obsidian artifacts found in Alberta has helped trace the movements of Indigenous peoples across Western North America, revealing vast prehistoric trade networks that connected the Rockies to distant volcanic sources. The presence of these materials demonstrates that Indigenous peoples in the Red Deer River area were connected to trading systems spanning thousands of kilometers.cbc

The Red Deer Crossing: A Vital Indigenous Site

Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous peoples identified a wide, shallow portion of the Red Deer River—located seven kilometers upstream from the modern city—as the safest crossing point for a considerable distance upstream or downstream. This natural ford, known as the Old Red Deer Crossing, was used first by buffalo, deer, elk, and other wildlife, then by First Nations people who followed the migrating buffalo, and later by fur traders and settlers.visitreddeer+4

The Crossing sat along a major Indigenous trail that ran from the Montana Territory across the Bow River near present-day Calgary northward to Fort Edmonton, later known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. This trail system was part of an ancient transportation network connecting north-south and east-west routes across the prairies.wikipedia+3

The area served as a significant gathering place where Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, and other Indigenous peoples came together for inter-tribal trade, celebration, and ceremony. The natural resources of the river valley—abundant wildlife, fish, timber, and water—made it an ideal location for seasonal camps and long-term settlements.reddeeradvocate+4

Chief Maskepetoon: The Great Peacemaker

The Red Deer area is intimately connected with Chief Maskepetoon (also spelled Maske-pe-toon, meaning "Broken Arm" or "Crooked Arm"), one of the most significant Cree leaders of the 19th century. Born around 1807 in the Saskatchewan River area, Maskepetoon led a small Plains Cree band that normally hunted south of Fort Edmonton but ranged as far as southern Saskatchewan and northern Montana.reddeer+3

In his youth, Maskepetoon was a fierce warrior who gained a reputation in battles with the Blackfoot, who gave him the name Mon-e-guh-ba-now or Mani-kap-ina (Young Man Chief). His arm became crooked and stiffened after being "so hacked and wounded in his hand-to-hand conflicts with his neighbors, the Blackfeet Indians, that, in healing, the muscles had so contracted and stiffened that the arm remained crooked".biographi+1

However, Maskepetoon underwent a profound transformation. Under the influence of Methodist missionary Robert Terrill Rundle in the 1840s, he became a strong promoter of peace among the tribes of Central Alberta. Though his early years were marked by violence—legend says he once scalped his wife Susewisk alive and nearly killed a Métis during a drinking bout near Fort Edmonton—he later worked tirelessly to bring peace to the region.lighthousetrailsresearch+3

In 1831-1832, Maskepetoon was invited to accompany other chiefs to Washington, D.C., to meet President Andrew Jackson. While in St. Louis, he was painted by celebrated artist George Catlin. Upon his return west, he wore a medal with the president's effigy around his neck. In 1848, artist Paul Kane met Maskepetoon near Fort Edmonton and recorded the chief's views on Christian missionaries and native beliefs.biographi

Maskepetoon died in 1869 at a Blackfoot camp in central Alberta. His legacy as a peacemaker has endured—Professor and University Founder Grant MacEwan once wrote that Maskepetoon was the "Ghandi of the Prairies". Today, Maskepetoon Park in Red Deer and Great Chief Park (also named for him) honor his memory.travelalberta+4

Métis Presence and the McKenzie Family

The Métis people played a crucial role in the development of the Red Deer River area. Evidence suggests Métis lived, hunted, and trapped in the region for at least 200 years. Sandstone cliffs in the Red Deer River Canyon east of the city once bore names carved into the soft stone with dates going back to the early 19th century, though erosion and vandalism have obliterated these early inscriptions.reddeerexpress

By the middle of the 1870s, extensive Métis communities existed in the Buffalo Lake area (east of Red Deer), including settlements at Tail Creek and Boss Hill with seasonal populations of up to 2,000 during the great bison hunts. Small settlements of Métis trappers and freighters also lived at the Red Deer River Crossing and along the Blindman River.reddeerexpress

In the spring of 1882, a large group of Métis settlers arrived from Headingly, Manitoba, including the McKenzie family—one of Red Deer's most remarkable pioneer families. Roderick McKenzie, along with family members including Magnus Brown and William Beauchemin, settled along the Red Deer River between the mouths of Waskasoo Creek and the Blindman River.reddeerexpress+2

The McKenzies were descended from an old fur trade family. Their father, Captain David McKenzie, worked for the Hudson's Bay Company in the Columbia River country, and their mother, Mathilde Bruce, was a native of the Red River settlement. These Métis pioneers brought with them a steam boiler and engine, a threshing machine, and a complete sawmill outfit—traveling more than 1,600 kilometers cross-country with no roads to follow or bridges to cross.reddeermuseum+1

The McKenzies put their sawmill into operation and sold lumber to other settlers. When Fort Normandeau was built during the Riel Rebellion in 1885, they sold supplies and provisions to soldiers and later to the North West Mounted Police. They also created the McKenzie Trail, a safer secondary route to the mouth of the Blindman River where they built a ferry to avoid the dangerous ford. In 1893, the McKenzie family built the first traffic bridge across the Red Deer River.engage.reddeer+3

Today, McKenzie Trails in Waskasoo Park honors these Métis families and their foundational impact on the community.engage.reddeer

Fort Normandeau and the Colonial Period

In 1884, entrepreneur Robert McClellan built a stopping house at the Red Deer River Crossing to take advantage of traffic on the Calgary-Edmonton Trail. The following year, during the Northwest Resistance (Riel Rebellion), settlers feared violence spreading from the north. McClellan's hotel was fortified by the 65th Mount Royal Rifles under the command of Lt. J.E. Bedard Normandeau, creating Fort Normandeau.waskasoopark+4

The military installation was established to guard the trail and river crossing. After the conflict, the North West Mounted Police continued using the fort until 1893, when it was abandoned. The original fort was later taken down, but a replica was reconstructed in 1974 using some of the original century-old logs.lord+2

Today, Fort Normandeau operates as an interpretive center and memorial to the Blackfoot, Cree, Métis, and European cultures that worked together to establish the region. The site acknowledges that it sits at the meeting place of Red Deer's three founding cultures: the Indigenous peoples who lived on the land for millennia, Métis buffalo hunters and traders, and European settlers.travelalberta+4

The Red Deer Industrial School Tragedy

Across the river from Fort Normandeau, one of the darkest chapters in the region's Indigenous history unfolded. The Red Deer Industrial Institute (also called Red Deer Indian Industrial School) operated from 1893 to 1919. It was the first Methodist industrial institute in what would become Alberta, built by the Department of Indian Affairs on 480 acres on the banks of the Red Deer River.reddeer.access.preservica+4

The school was designed to serve the signing Cree and Saulteaux Nations of Treaty 6 who lived around and north of Edmonton. However, it was located at a great distance from the communities it was meant to serve—the nearest reserve was 65 kilometers away. This distance contributed to the school's eventual closure, as the Edmonton, Hobbema, and Saddle Lake First Nations preferred to keep their children closer to home.thechildrenremembered

The Red Deer Industrial School had the highest mortality rate of any Indian Residential School in Canada. Children from Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Saddle Lake Cree First Nation, and other communities were forcefully taken from their families and sent to the school, where they experienced abuse, neglect, and cultural genocide. Many children died at the school, and their bodies were never returned to their families.rednationff+3

June 11 is now recognized as Remembering the Children Day in Red Deer, marking the anniversary of the Government of Canada's official apology to the children and descendants affected by residential schools. The annual Waskasoo Seepee Traditional Pow Wow is held to honor Indigenous children who were sent to abusive residential schools, celebrating the lives of children today while remembering all the children who didn't make it home.reddeer+2

Living Legacy

The Indigenous history of Waskasoo Seepee—the Elk River—continues to shape the Red Deer region today. The river's Cree name is preserved in Waskasoo Park, one of the city's most significant assets. Public art installations, such as Wahkohtowin – nipy, askiy, kisik, pisiskiw ("We are all connected – water, land, sky, animals") at Red Deer schools, celebrate the interconnection of all things and reference the story of the river and the elk.visitreddeer+2

The 2019 Canada Winter Games official mascot was named Waskasoo after the Cree name for the Red Deer River, bringing Indigenous heritage to national attention. Educational programs at Fort Normandeau and the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery work to make Indigenous history more visible, including exhibits like "Hiding in Plain Sight: Discovering the Métis Nation".canada+3

Red Deer acknowledges that it is situated on Treaty 6 land north of the river and Treaty 7 land south of the river, recognizing this area as significant ancestral territory of the Cree and Blackfoot peoples and a significant Métis meeting site. The river that Indigenous peoples called wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy remains a living connection to thousands of years of Indigenous presence, diplomacy, survival, and resilience in the heart of what is now Alberta.guides.rdpolytech+1

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Friday, October 17, 2025

Indigenous History of Waskasoo Seepee