Did you know the names of many waterways in Canada have Indigenous origins? – Cottage Life
March 17, 2026
There’s a river just across the street from my house. When I go outside in the morning, it smells and feels like I’m at the cottage. I love that. The waterway is called the Assiniboine, one of two major rivers that wind through Winnipeg. It’s of Indigenous origin, as many places are in this country. That doesn’t cross the minds of many Canadians. It should.
The Assiniboine River’s name comes from the Assiniboine people, whose traditional lands in Canada were southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. The word means “those who cook by placing hot stones in water.” It took only a few minutes to research that. Discovering the meaning of the word has strengthened what the river, and where I live, means to me.
