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Eilish Lemieux
Would you swim in Diaper Lake? Stomach Lake? Perhaps you'd prefer to toboggan down Driedmeat Hill or climb Unnecessary Mountain instead?
If you think these names are fictitious, maybe you could use a lesson from the Friends of Geographical Names of Alberta (FGNA). The society was started in 1987 by retired teacher Ruth Groves who believes that people need to know their origins. Her belief extended to creating a valuable resource for Albertans and Alberta's schools. The society's official statement of purpose is "To promote an awareness of the historical and cultural significance of geographical names in Alberta and to assist in the preservation and awareness of the importance of geographical names."
Soon after its inception, and surviving solely on funds from casinos and bake sales before receiving a government grant, the society developed a board game about place names, including lessons on longitude and latitude. Three years ago, the society created an in-school field trip called Alberta Namedropper complete with instructor, activities and games. Marianne Baker, FGNA executive director, explained that the Edmonton-based society can only present the field trip to Edmonton and area schools, but the society has developed a stand-alone product with an activities book and a component that any parent volunteer could set up for the students.
"The good thing about the Namedropper field trip is that we come to the school, so you don't have to rent a bus or deal with extra supervision," explained Baker. "The one-hour-and-15-minute presentation features 'Hatmandu,' a fictitious hat maker from Medicine Hat who takes hat orders from all over the province and soon realizes that many Alberta places are named after body parts."
Baker explained that the field trip, led by former teacher Annette Ayre, fits in perfectly with the Grade 4 curriculum. "The kids are divided into small groups with activities that relate to geography, history, people, transportation and settlements," Baker said. "The groups are given a task to prepare for the rest of the class and the class has to guess what place it is." The students use various techniques including acting, pictionary-type activities and charades.
The field trip includes a sorting activity in which students guess how places were named. Is it an Aboriginal name? Was it named for an event or person? The lesson wraps up with a brief lesson on Alberta's namesake, Princess Caroline Alberta.
Baker explained that most places are named after a region's geography, an actual event, Aboriginal history or real people. "Aboriginal people don't name a whole river the way others do," she said. "They would name a specific point in the river at which something took place." There are many place names that include body parts, like the aforementioned Stomach Lake, but also Elbow River, Yellowhead Route, Cataract Creek and Dog Rump Creek.
Baker points out that not all place names are official. "There are specific criteria and one must apply to the provincial government to get a place officially named," she said. Referring to Ha Ling Peak near Canmore, Baker explained that sometimes names change, especially if they have negative connotations, like the mountain's former name Chinaman's Peak. Ha Ling was a railway worker who bet someone he could climb the mountain in a certain amount of time. He set a record and won his bet.
"Place names really give us a glimpse into history," said Baker. "We have a rich cultural legacy with a diverse heritage."
For more information, contact the Friends of the Geographical Names of Alberta. E-mail: info@placenamesofalberta.ca; telephone: (780) 431-2349; website: www.placenamesofalberta.ca
