The Stoney Nation are an aboriginal tribe, also known as the Assiniboine. They were originally members of the Sioux nation. Their name comes from the Assiniboine term "Assinipwat" which means "Stone People". According to their own legends and oral history, the Stoney peoples came from the area surrounding the Mississippi river. During the 17th century they split from the Sioux nation and moved north, where they allied themselves with the Cree who lived along the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Together, they created a strong alliance (bond) and became one of the first nations to make contact with the European traders. This meant that they were also one of the first nations to attain European trade goods such as blankets, weapons, and horses. During the early 19th century the Stoney and Cree moved further west.
Despite their close bond with the Cree peoples, the Stoney managed to keep their own language and culture. They continued to hunt and roam the plains of southern Alberta, at times moving further eastward as a result of constant warring with the Blackfoot people.
In 1840, the arrival of Reverand Robert T. Rundle had a tremendous impact on the lives of the Stoney peoples. While several other missionaries had attempted to bring organized religion to the First Nations peoples of the prairies, they had not had much success. For some reason the Stoney people immediately liked Reverand Rundle's Methodist teachings and many important Stoney peoples even converted to Methodism during this period. It was also during this time that the Stoney Nation began to break into smaller, more manageable bands including the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney bands.
To this day they have proudly retained their language and many of their cultural practices that continue to be passed on and celebrated.
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