Ehagay Nakoda

Ehagay Nakoda (/eɪˈhɑːɡeɪ nəˈkoʊdə/ ay-HAH-gay nə-KOH-də; Stoney Nakoda variants include Ehage Nakoda and Îhage Nakoda IPA: [e'hage, ĩ'hage na'koda][lower-alpha 1]) is a multipeaked massif located immediately south of the town of Canmore just east of the Spray Lakes road in Alberta's Canadian Rockies. The mountain sports two subsidiary peaks with commemorative names, Mount Lawrence Grassi (which is the tallest) and Ha Ling Peak on the northwestern end. It also sports two other named peaks: Ship's Prow on the southeastern side, and Miners Peak. The mountain is separated from Mount Rundle by Whiteman's Gap, and is separated to the South from The Three Sisters by Three Sisters Pass.

Ehagay Nakoda
Ehagay Nakoda from the Bow River, 18 June 2011
Highest point
Elevation2,685 m (8,809 ft)[1]
Prominence396 m (1,299 ft)
Coordinates51°03′11.0″N 115°23′31.0″W
Geography
Ehagay Nakoda is located in Alberta
Ehagay Nakoda
Ehagay Nakoda
Parent rangeCanadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 82O3 Canmore

Name change

Ehagay Nakoda was formerly named Mount Lawrence Grassi, but the name was changed along with renaming Ha Ling Peak. In 1998, the name of the massif was changed to Ehagay Nakoda, meaning "The Last Nakoda" ("The last human being"), which is derived from a Stoney Nakoda origin story about the mountain's creation. This traditional story told of a Nakoda who was transformed into a mountain by Iktomni[lower-alpha 2] (the Trickster, or the Old Man) so that they would remain on this Earth long after human beings cease to inhabit it. The story was submitted by a local Stoney Nakoda Edler, Peter Lazarus Wesley, for the renaming of Chinaman's Peak, but the decision was made to rename the entire massif while also changing the name of Chinaman's Peak to Ha Ling Peak. To respect the history of Lawrence Grassi and the former name of the mountain, the tallest peak was named Mount Lawrence Grassi.[4][5][6][7]

Named peaks

Mount Lawrence Grassi

The peak is named for Lawrence Grassi (1890–1980), an Italian miner who emigrated to Canada in 1912. After working with the Canadian Pacific Railway for several years he worked in the Canmore coal mines, Grassi also became a well-respected climbing guide as well as building many trails in the area, including one to the Grassi Lakes which also bear his name.[1][8]

Ha Ling Peak

Ha Ling Peak was previously officially named Chinaman's Peak in 1980, but the name was removed in 1997, underwent a name change in 1998. The peak is named in honour of Ha Ling, who was a Chinese cook working for a mining camp and the first person known to have summited the peak. He bet some coworkers $50 that he could climb the mountain and return in less than ten hours. When he returned in five and a half hours, people doubted him, so he led people up the mountain to where he had planted a small flag, and left behind an even larger flag that could be seen from the nearby town of town of Canmore, Alberta. Ha Ling Peak is the northmost peak of Ehagay Nakoda.[9]

Ship's Prow

Ship's Prow is the South peak of Ehagay Nakoda. It is named for its prominent, ship's prow-like appearance on the end of Ehagay Nakoda as seen from the nearby town of Canmore, Alberta.[10]

Miners Peak

Miners Peak is the first peak Southeast of Ha Ling Peak. Miners Peak was named in honour of the mining community that once worked below the mountain mining coal.[11] Though the name of the peak is often spelled with an apostrophe (i.e., Miner's), this is an incorrect spelling.[12]

The Story of Ehagay Nakoda: The Last Nakoda

The immortal Iktomni[lower-alpha 2] (the Trickster or the Old Man) possesses special powers. He was the first Nakoda (human) to live on the Earth and, in fact, has assisted the Creator with its origin. After the formation of the earth, additional Nakoda (humans) were created to live on this planet. Since time immemorial, their traditional homelands included the eastern slopes of what are now known as the Canadian Rockies.

At one point in time, word circulated that Iktomni was granting wishes to the Nakoda. Two Nakoda visited Iktomni and respectfully asked him to give them one wish each. Iktomni replied, "I will grant you any wish you desire, but you must understand that once your wish is fulfilled, you cannot change it." Both agreed.

The first Nakoda made a wish to be very beautiful. Iktomni then commanded, "Do you see that pond of water? Turn to it and jump in it." The Nakoda jumped into the pond and immediately was transformed into a beautiful swan.

Astonished, the second Nakoda then made a wish, saying, "My wish is nothing like that. I wish to remain on this Earth for as long as it exists." Iktomni responded, "You shall remain on this earth long after all human beings cease to inhabit it. You will be EHAGAY NAKODA: The Last Nakoda.

Iktomni then commanded the Nakoda to sit on the ground. The Nakoda did as instructed and immediately was transformed into a colossal rock configuration: a mountain. That particular mountain — which was originally the Nakoda — still dominates the landscape to this day. "It shall remain on this earth long after all human beings cease to inhabit it."

That mountain is "Ehagay Nakoda: The Last Nakoda."

[4]

As told by Stoney Nakoda Elder Peter Lazarus Wesley.

Notes
  1. There are several variants for the word for 'last' in Stoney Nakoda, including ehage and îhage. The English transcription ehagay seems to represent the ehage variant, but is somewhat ambiguous and therefore allows for both pronunciations.[2]
  2. Stoney Nakoda Îktomnî IPA: [ĩ'ktomnĩ] [3]

References
  1. "Mount Lawrence Grassi". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  2. Stoney Nakoda Dictionary Online. "entry for îhage/ehage (last)". dictionary.stoneynakoda.org. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  3. Stoney Nakoda Dictionary Online. "entry for Îktomnî (Trickster)". dictionary.stoneynakoda.org. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  4. Ward, Meghan J. (Winter 2012). "What's in a Name? A Reminder of Things Past". Highline Magazine. 4 (1): 27–29. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  5. Daffern, Gillean (2011). Popular Day Hikes 1: Kananaskis Country. Rocky Mountain Books Ltd. ISBN 9781897522714.
  6. Kelland, Ron. "Stories from the Land: Indigenous Place Names in Canada". RETROactive. Historic Resources Management Branch of Alberta, Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  7. "News In Brief". Alberta Sweetgrass. Vol. 5, no. 11. Aboriginal Multi-Media Society. 1998. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. "Lawrence Grassi". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  9. Meuse, Matt (18 August 2018). "What's in a name? The (mostly) true story of Ha Ling Peak". CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  10. Nick. "Ship's Prow Peak". Steep Sheep. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  11. Hobbs, Matthew. "Miner's Peak". On-Top.ca.
  12. "Geospatial Data Extraction". Federal Geospatial Platform. Government of Canada. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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