The 2021 Municipal Election is scheduled for October 18, 2021, and all Edmonton wards have been redrawn and given new names. Formerly Ward 9, our neighbourhood is now in "Ward pihêsiwin".
The following is taken from the City of Edmonton Website on the New Ward Names:
pihêsiwin
Indigenous language of origin: Cree
Name Meaning: Pays respect to the Thunderbird. This ward, from an aerial view, is shaped like a pihêsiw (thunderbird) and contains a ceremonial site.
Pronunciation: Pee-hay-soo-win
Name Explanation:
The name pihêsiwin means Land of the Thunderbirds and was given to this ward because from an aerial view it is shaped like a pihêsiw (thunderbird).
The thunderbird appears in artwork throughout Indigenous history and has different significance between cultures.
In nêhiyawewin (Cree ontology), pihêsiw is a word of power and reverence. The thunderbird is a powerful spirit in the form of a bird. Lightning was believed to flash from its beak, and the beating of its wings was thought to represent the rolling of thunder. When the thunderbird strikes lightning (kakitoht), it re-energizes mother Earth.
The pihêsiw is the keeper of water. As water is crucial for life, the nourishment of our bodies, and the bringer of beauty, the thunderbird is viewed with extreme reverence.