Chiniki Territory
The territory of the Chiniki First Nation is more than a physical space. It is a living reflection of our origins, our teachings and our responsibilities. From the ridgelines of the eastern Rockies to the winding waters of the Bow River, these lands have carried our people through generations of movement, ceremony and survival.
Our Nation is located in Mini Thni, Alberta - part of the lands set aside following the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877. Today, our community resides within the shared Stoney Nakoda reserve lands, which we hold in unity with the Bearspaw and Goodstoney Nations. Our deep relationship to the land extends far beyond reserve boundaries.
Each bend in the river, each rise in the hills, holds meaning. Some places carry stories, others carry names and many still carry the footprints of our ancestors. We walk gently here. Not as owners, but as caretakers. Our land holds memory, but also responsibility: to protect, to nourish and to live in balance with the natural world.
Chiniki’s territory continues to shape our identity and inform our future. As we build homes, grow businesses, host gatherings and plan for future generations, we do so with the land at the center. Not as a backdrop, but as an active voice in who we are.
This is not just where we live. It’s where we listen.
“The land is not inherited from our ancestors, it is borrowed from our children.”
— STONEY NAKODA ELDERS’ TEACHING