Mary Lenore Jobe Akeley [1878–1966] submitted the name “Kitchi” to the Geographic Board of Canada in April 1915, to apply to the very high mountain just south of this location, now known as Mount Sir Alexander. In her article in the 1914 Canadian Alpine Journal, she wrote that “Kitchi in the Cree Indian language means ‘Great,’ ‘Mighty.’”

The Geographic Board adopted the name “Kitchi Mountain” for the high mountain in September 1915, and Mary Jobe’s article: ”Mt. Kitchi, A New Peak in the Canadian Rockies” was published in the Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, Vol XLVII, No. 7, 1915, pp 481-497. The following September, the Board was persuaded by climber Samuel Prescott Fay [1884–1971], associated with New York’s Museum of Natural History, to reverse their decision and adopt his recommendation — “Mount Sir Mackenzie,” which was changed in 1917 to “Mount Sir Alexander.”

To perpetuate the name “Kitchi, ” Alan John Campbell [1882–1967], British Columbia Land Surveyor, placed it on this mountain to the north, as shown on his 1929 survey plan 10T264, McGregor River area.

Kitchi Mountain is listed at Indigenous Geographical Names dataset.

Language: ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ (Nēhiyawēwin)
Dialect: Plains Cree
Meaning: Mighty, or great
Year Adopted: ‪1965‬