While the precise location is unknown,it is thought to have been near Hardisty, Alberta.

Manitou Asinîy is a 145kg iron meteorite that fell from the sky on an unknown date many years ago.

Over the centuries the meteorite became deeply embedded in Indigenous spirituality and was venerated by the First Nations people. The Manitou Stone is associated with the buffalo which represents prosperity among the Plains Buffalo Tribes.


This all changed in 1866 when Manitou Asinîy was stolen from the land by Methodist missionary Reverend George McDougall. Alarmed at this act, Indigenous spiritual leaders prophesied that war, plague, and famine would soon devastate their people.

Thousands of years ago

The Manitou Stone falls to earth near Hardisty Alberta

  • 1866

    In 1866, Methodist Missionary, Reverend George McDougall, took the meteorite from its original site to destroy Indigenous belief systems and replace them with Christianity.

  • 1900s

    Missionaries sent the Stone to Victoria Methodist College in Cobourg, Ontario, now part of the University of Toronto. The Manitou Stone was displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum for many years.


  • 1972

    At the request of the Alberta Government, Victoria University College placed the Manitou Stone on long-term loan with the Royal Alberta Museum (then called the Provincial Museum of Alberta).

  • 2001

    Victoria University transferred the title of the Manitou Stone to RAM, with the understanding that museum staff would consult with Indigenous nations who have a connection with Manitou Asinîy.

  • 2002 - 2004

    RAM held consultations with 33 Alberta and Saskatchewan First Nations and seven Indigenous organizations to ask what would be the most appropriate location for Manitou Asinîy. The majority believed that, if possible, Manitou Asinîy should be returned to its original location in a secure facility; however until recently, there was no consensus on who should build and operate the facility and the consensus was that the stone will remain at RAM in the interim, as it is both a secure space and accessible to Indigenous peoples.


  • 2022

    Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools. Honourable Jason Kenney, the Premier of Alberta, and Leonard Weasel Traveller, MAITX Board Chair signed a Co- Stewardship Agreement. The agreement affirms the Province of Alberta and the Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Centre’s shared desire to work to return the Manitou Stone to Indigenous Stewardship.


  • 2023

    MAITX is formed with the goal of securing land and funds for The Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Centre