Ruth Scalp Lock is a

Siksika The Siksika Nation (; syllabics , ) is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name ''Siksiká'' comes from the Blackfoot words ''sik'' (black) and ''iká'' (foot), with a connector ''s'' between the two words. The plural form of ''S ...

First Nation woman who founded a domestic violence shelter in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

. She was placed into the

Canadian Indian residential school system The Canadian Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by various Christian churches. The sch ...

for fourteen years. In 1974, Scalp Lock experienced a spiritual awakening where she decided to change her life by embracing healing. Scalp Lock has dedicated over 40 years of her life to helping her community members and urban Indigenous families in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...

. Scalp Lock was one of the first Indigenous women in southern

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

to make a connection between Indigenous families and

social workers Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

by establishing trust and concern through working with the families in order to keep the family circle strong.

Awo Taan Native Healing Lodge

In 1986, Scalp Lock came together with a group of concerned people to make a safe place for Indigenous women and children escaping from

abuse Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

and in need of shelter. It was Scalp Lock’s dream to open a Native Women’s Shelter in Calgary. Finding a location for and then opening the shelter took many years and had the support of Mayor Alder,

Ralph Klein Ralph Philip Klein (November 1, 1942 – March 29, 2013) was a Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 12th premier of Alberta and leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta from 1992 until his retirement in 2 ...

, and many other local leaders. In 2007, the shelter was renamed Awo Tann Healing Lodge, "Awo Taan" meaning 'shield', which was given to Scalp Lock's grandmother, Margaret Bad Boy and her husband at a Sundance in 1930. In a ceremonial gathering, Bad Boy gave Scalp Lock the name Awo Taanaakii (Shield Woman), a name which recognizes her role as a protector to women and children. The lodge is a shelter uniquely designed for Indigenous families because of its traditional and

spiritual healing Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into patients and effect positive results. The field is defined by shared beliefs and practices relating to m ...

practices, such as the

medicine wheel Medicine wheels are petroforms or circular formations of rocks on the land. Historically, most medicine wheels followed a similar pattern of a central circle or cluster of stones, surrounded by an outer ring of stones, along with spokes radiatin ...

, speaking with Elders, and

smudging Smudging, or other rites involving the burning of sacred herbs (e.g., white sage) or resins, is a ceremony practiced by some Indigenous peoples of the Americas. While it bears some resemblance to other ceremonies and rituals involving smoke (e.g ...

References

Living people Siksika Nation people Activists from Alberta Year of birth missing (living people) {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub