Calgary\u00a0is now home to a Holy Gathering Place for the urban Indigenous population, courtesy of a partnership between the Confluence Historic Site & Parkland and the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of\u00a0Calgary\u00a0(AFCC).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naatow\u00e1pitao\u2019ohk\u00e1nnao\u2019p (pronounced Nah-doh-WAH-bee-doh-gah-nope) had its opening ceremony on Jan. 30, with the unveiling of BOW MOTHER III \u2013 \u201cConfluence,\u201d a mural painted by local artist Nicole Wolf that wraps around the gathering place\u2019s exterior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Its name was given by Elder Clement Leather from the Siksika Nation, who consecrated the building at its\u00a0opening ceremony<\/a>.\u00a0Calgary\u00a0Mayor Jeromy Farkas provided opening remarks, and AFCC board president Gabrielle Weasel Head, Tsapinaaki, was present to answer questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Initial inception <\/p>\n In an interview with\u00a0Alberta Native News, AFCC CEO Shane Gauthier gave credit for the project\u2019s realization first and foremost to the \u201cwisdom and guidance of the Elders.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the AFCC was involved, local Elders identified the need for a \u201csafe space \u2026 for community members to gather,\u201d said Gauthier. \u201cIt really started with that,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The AFCC and the Confluence then worked with \u201cmany layers\u201d of the City of\u00a0Calgary\u00a0to bring the project to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all in it together,\u201d said Gauthier.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Confluence and AFCC signed a memorandum of understanding in April 2024 to provide Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous-led organizations with a free ceremonial gathering space.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just verbal, it\u2019s an action, it\u2019s a step forward,\u201d Gauthier added. \u201cIt\u2019s a concrete example of acknowledging the Indigenous Peoples of this area and the importance of having a ceremonial and a gathering place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A safe place<\/p>\n The AFCC works with some of the most vulnerable community members, who have mental health and addiction issues, and housing needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Having a dedicated gathering space fulfills a major \u201csocial determinant of health,\u201d Gauthier said, referencing \u201cthe need for Indigenous community members and Indigenous Peoples to feel safe, practice culture and ceremony, and to come together.\u201d<\/p>\n The 1,000-square-foot gathering place was refashioned from the north part of the Replica Fort Calgary Barracks to include space for smudging, a kitchenette for catering, accessible bathrooms, and an outdoor firepit with built-in seating.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI look at it as a blank canvas, depending on the needs of the Elders and of the community members,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Prior to its grand opening, Naatow\u00e1pitao\u2019ohk\u00e1nnao\u2019p hosted Sinopaa Pokaiks Blackfoot cultural camps for local Indigenous youth to connect to their culture in summer 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201dIndigenous Elders have told me stories about when conducting ceremony, and even using their own language, was forbidden on this very land,\u201d Confluence board chair Jennifer Thompson said in a Jan. 29\u00a0news release<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope Naatow\u00e1pitao\u2019ohk\u00e1nnao\u2019p will help Indigenous communities feel welcome to gather and take part in their culture on the land they have called home for time immemorial.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Right now, there are two employees who are hired to coordinate bookings and answer any questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the space is available free of charge to Indigenous organizations, non-Indigenous community members can book it for a fee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those interested in booking the space can do so\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n This ANNews report was first published by The Canadian Press on Feb. 18, 2026. <\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n