Bret the ‘Hit Man’ Hart, was given the Blackfoot name Iyiikitapinaa, which means Courageous Chief, in a ceremony with members of Siksika Nation at Mount Royal University (MRU) on August 23.

Hart was give the name by Siksika Nation member Clarence Wolfleg Senior (Elder Miiksika’am) in a ceremony that included smudging inside the MRU tipi, the gifting of a Blackfoot name, eagle feather, blanket and the singing of the University's Honour Song with traditional dancing.

“The name that I chose for Bret goes back to an old warrior whose name was Iron Chief,” said Wolfleg Senior. “His spirit was like iron, once he was surrounded in battle and they tried to take him down but the Great War chief said we can not take this warrior down. He has a shield. For you (Hart) I decided on a powerful name of a great warrior — Courageous Chief,” he said.

Hart is a retired member of the Hart Family of wrestlers. He is also an honourary holder of a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education-- Physical Literacy degree from Mount Royal University.

The Hart family from Calgary have a local history with the former World Wrestling Foundation (World Wrestling Entertainment). Hart is also an actor, artist, writer and philanthropist.

“My family and my father especially was always very tight with the (Indigenous) community — throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and even Montana. He had a strong kinship with them all his life,” he said.

Stu Hart, his father, also ran Stampede Wrestling, a Calgary-based wrestling school.

Bret Hart retired from wrestling in October 2000. He was named to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. While competing for Mount Royal in 1977, Hart also won the Collegiate Amateur Wrestling Championship.