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Image of Ceremony -- Supplied by RCMP

Fort Macleod RCMP take part in burial of unknown Blackfoot Warrior

Jul 19, 2021 | 11:16 AM

FORT MACLEOD, AB – RCMP says on July 22, 1979, someone found a human skull in the waters of the Old Man River west of the Monarch bridge at Highway 3A.

The skull was then given to Fort Macleod RCMP where it was forwarded to Edmonton for further identification analysis.

“In October 1979, through the work of the University of Alberta (Department of Anthropology), the skull remains were determined to be that of an adult male of 60 years or older,” the release reads.

The skull was then determined to be prehistoric, therefore Indigenous in origin.

A study was done on the skull and then was turned back into the RCMP detachment at Fort Macleod in 2017.

RCMP say in March 2021, Fort Macleod detachment representatives engaged in “discussions with members of the Blackfoot Nations to determine the best course to ensure a respectful and proper re-burial of the skull.”

Kainai Spiritual Elder Joe Eagle Tail Feathers was consulted along with other spiritual Elders and Sundancers, and a traditional burial ceremony was held on June 26th, 2021 on the Blood Nation.

The ceremony included wrapping the box containing the skull remains in a traditional blanket followed by a smudging ceremony and internment.

This ancestor of the Blackfoot People was buried in a small grave near where the Old Man River and Belly River merge.

His grave is marked with a bleached white stone indicating “Unknown Blackfoot Warrior.”