Makhabn

Makhabn is the Blackfoot name for the Bow River, referring to the plants along its banks used to make bows. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, the river flows east through southern Alberta before joining the Oldman to form the South Saskatchewan. Its valley connects mountain passes with the plains and has long been used by Indigenous travellers. The river’s name preserves a connection between a familiar plant, the making of tools and the waterside landscape.