Spirit of Calgary’s Residential School Memorial Transferred to The Confluence

Press Release

The Wandering Spirit and the transfer ceremony are part of the The City of Calgary’s Residential School Memorial Project. A previous story about this project was published in November 2025.

The Spring Equinox marked a new beginning for the residential school memorial that has existed on the steps of Calgary’s city hall since 2021. On Friday, March 20, community came together to transfer the spirit of the memorial to the site where The Wandering Spirit, a permanent residential school memorial, will be built at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland.

Supported by The City of Calgary, today’s transfer ceremony was led by Indigenous community groups who created and cared for the temporary memorial over the years.

The transfer ceremony began at city hall with a blessing by Elder Jackie Bromley, words from community members and a drum song. The spirit of the residential school memorial was transferred with a ceremonial walk, where community carried 215 tobacco ties to the future home of The Wandering Spirit.

Blair Cunningham, Indigenous Cultural Development Coordinator of The Confluence, says the tobacco ties were integral to a respectful and meaningful spiritual transfer.

“The tobacco is a prayer offering, so it was important to give that offering back to the land,” says Cunningham. “Community could bury the tobacco, give it to the water, tie it to a tree branch or offer it to the fire — as long as it’s returning to the earth.”

To welcome the spirit of the memorial to its permanent home, Elder Minipoka Peter Weasel Moccasin from the Kainai Nation delivered a blessing at The Confluence. The ceremony concluded with a traditional community meal of bannock and stew catered by Soopz Kitchen.

The Confluence asks that any offerings left at the new site are organic items that can be safely returned to the earth, such as tobacco or sweetgrass. Any other types of offerings will be removed within 48 hours and donated to a local charity.

Be Part of the Story

To further foster this transition, The Confluence in partnership with Mount Royal University invites the public to an enactment of Ani to Pisi. This event symbolizes a Blackfoot Creation story and emphasizes harmony and community, as participants move in unison to the beat of a drum. Learn more and register.

Donate to The Wandering Spirit Today

The Confluence has committed to contributing $1 million towards The Wandering Spirit memorial.. Contribute to this permanent place of healing, truth-telling, and education by donating today.

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