Indigenous cash cab returns to Calgary to test people’s knowledge about Treaty 7

July 8, 2024 Canuck

When was Treaty 7 negotiated and signed in Alberta? And what was the main food source of prairie Indigenous people?

These are just some of the questions you could be asked on Indigenous Cash Cab, which puts a spin on the classic trivia game.

It’s the second year the game has come to Calgary during the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede. It’s hosted by Wapimaskwasis, or Maskwa for short, who’s going into his fourth year of sociology with a minor in Indigenous studies at Mount Royal University.

Maskwa is a Samson Cree Nation member from Mascwacis, Alta. He said he was inspired to start the game in Calgary to help educate people about Treaty 7 and the Indigenous history of the area.

“Some people struggle just to name the nations that are around here. As an Indigenous studies student, even myself, when I first moved here, I struggled just to know the names.”

The game’s premise is to ask customers of Associated Cabs in Calgary six questions during their ride. Answering the questions correctly gives riders a discount on their cab fare, and they’re also given a gift bag for participating.

WATCH | Calgarians are asked a series of trivia questions for a discount off their fare in Indigenous cash cab

Maskwa said players sometimes start out feeling nervous, but that he aims to make the experience a fun one, giving people hints along the way.

“As soon as we get the first few easy questions out of the way, they’re more relaxed,” he says.

As a sociologist, Maskwa said he’s interested in testing his findings from the pilot of the project last year.

“The people who are doing the best, answering the most questions, were people that were either young kids in elementary school where [they’re] now teaching these things, people who took Indigenous studies courses or people who took, like, a cultural sensitivity training in their workplace.”

He added that he loves engaging with the public, and helping them learn something new.

“That’s one of the best parts for me,” he says.

After passengers are done playing the game, Maskwa gifts them a Cree song, singing alongside his drum.

A man sits in the front of a cab, a passenger behind him, you can see the backs of their heads. — Wapimaskwasis, the host of Indigenous cash cab, asks passengers trivia questions during their ride on Sunday. (Terri Trembath/CBC)

Nick Tiwana has been a supervisor for Associated Cabs for the last 20 years and has been driving with the company for 25 years. It’s the second year he’s returning as Maskwa’s driver for the duration of the 10 days.

“It’s fun engaging with our passengers, they’re very fun,” says Tiwana.

“We kind of surprise them when they walk in and as soon as we tell them you’re in an Indigenous cash cab, they like it and they get excited.”

Tiwana said the experience has improved his own knowledge about Treaty 7, and that he hops in with Muskwa to give people clues to answering the questions.

He said he jumped at the opportunity to be Maskwa’s driver again, and that he enjoys interacting with passengers.

“When they get some answers right, it’s fun to see a smile on their face.”

Tiwana says there are plans to expand the pilot to more cabs and more occasions in the years to come.

Indigenous Cash Cab will also run in the city on Sept. 30, for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Want to test your knowledge? Here are the six questions asked in Indigenous cash cab:

In what style of homes did prairie Indigenous aboriginal people live in southern Alberta?
What was the main food source for prairie Indigenous people in southern Alberta?
What treaty territory is Calgary in?
Can you name two of the five Indigenous nations in southern Alberta?
Can you name the Indigenous negotiator/interpreter for Treaty 7?
What was the date Treaty 7 was negotiated?

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Canada News

Indigenous cash cab returns to Calgary to test people’s knowledge about Treaty 7

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