In the negotiations preceding Treaty 7, an oral history recounts Chief Crowfoot of the Blackfoot Confederacy and his words to a government spokesman.
In that story, the words of Chief Crowfoot centre on Indigenous relationships with the land and how they contrast with Anglican perspectives.
During the negotiations, he is quoted as saying, “Our land is more valuable than your money. It will last forever. It will not perish as long as the sun shines and the rivers flow, and, through all of the years, it will give life to men and beasts. We cannot sell the lives of men and animals, and so we cannot sell the land. It was put here by the Great Spirit, and we cannot sell it because it does not really belong to us.”
These words are also included on the website of the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation area, a nod to the history of the area, which also serves as a guiding principle for the couple’s conservation efforts. Since the late ’90s, the 4,800-acre conservation area has been a haven for the natural world and the people who make their home on the land.
A historic gathering place
The Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCCA) is located just southwest of Calgary, Alta., on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai Nations who have lived on and cared for the land since time immemorial.
Ann and Sandy Cross themselves have a long intergenerational history in Alberta. Sandy was born Alexander Rothney Macleod Cross on April 11, 1914, to Alfred Ernest (A.E.) Cross and Helen Rothney Macleod. Alfred Ernest Cross was a prominent Alberta rancher, brewer, and politician who started ranching in 1886 at the Cross family’s A7 Ranche in Nanton. The family split their time between the ranch and the Cross house (Rouge Restaurant) in Inglewood.
Following in his father’s footsteps, A.E.’s son Sandy began purchasing land south of Calgary in 1945 for what would become Rothney Farm. In 1974, he and Ann married and settled into farm life together. But they became increasingly concerned for the future of the rolling foothills south of Calgary as the city continued to expand, dividing farmland around them.
In 1987, Ann and Sandy donated nearly 2,000 acres of their land to the Province of Alberta, which was at the time the largest land donation in Canadian history.
They desired to preserve the land for future generations, and they worked with The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to operate and manage the area according to their vision.
In 1996, Ann and Sandy Cross donated an additional 2,800 acres of land, for a total of 4,800 acres. That same year, the Sandy Cross Conservation Foundation was created to manage the Conservation Area independently of the NCC.
4,800 acres of pristine foothills
The Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area is a day-use natural area and nocturnal preserve, where visitors are invited to share in the natural beauty and history of the land.
The area is a protected habitat that provides space for native species of wildlife, and hosts a series of conservation education programs from pond mini-adventures to winter walkabouts.
At Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, each visitor is encouraged to reflect upon their own relationship to the land and the creatures, big and small, that live upon it.
The area boasts six walking paths on AllTrails, ranging from an hour to three hours in length. Paths loop around the hills and coulees of the natural area, and the McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes Memorial Forest.
It’s recommended you bring your binoculars for a day trip out to this scenic and peaceful natural preserve, where you could spot a herd of white-tailed deer, native birds and plenty of other critters.
Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area is a fantastic place to visit and teach the whole family about this important legacy donation.
Pack your hiking shoes and make sure you pay the one-day parking fee before heading out for a day at the conservation area. You can also take a peek at the area’s trail maps to plan your journey through Alberta’s southern foothills.
Where: 194001 160th St. W
How to get there: Drive 30 minutes south of Calgary via Highway 201
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