Edmonton’s Whitemud Park will soon be home to kihciy askiy, the first urban Indigenous cultural site in Canada.

After a ground blessing ceremony on Sept. 22, construction is set to begin next week, the city said Nov. 5.

kihciy askiy, which means “sacred earth” in Cree, will provide a natural setting for Indigenous peoples and communities in the capital region to host spiritual ceremonies, sweat lodges, cultural camps and talking circles; grow medicinal herbs, and facilitate intergenerational learning.

“This is a long-awaited project that the Indigenous community and elders and Indigenous leaders had envisioned some time ago,” said project manager Lewis Cardinal.

“A place where Indigenous people can come and pray and do their basic ceremonies. Right now we have to leave the city in order to do our basic prayers.

“While it serves the Indigenous community, it’s open to the non-Indigenous people and Edmontonians to participate and learn in the spirt of reconciliation,” Cardinal said.

The City of Edmonton’s website says “construction is set to begin in late 2021, and will take approximately 18 to 24 months to be complete and in service.”

However, the project team is monitoring how the budget is affected by construction and material cost increases.

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