Woman turns decades of sobriety into giving back

March 14, 1974, marks a significant date in Ruth Scalp Lock’s life, a turning point at the Winnipeg Inn on Portage and Main, where she experienced a spiritual awakening.

“I heard this voice that told me I had to do something about my life. A power higher than me was with me,” said Scalp Lock at the launch of her personal story, My Name is Shield Woman a hard road to healing, vision, and leadership, at Shelf Life Books on June 19.

In March this year, Scalp Lock celebrated 40 years of sobriety. “Over 40 years ago, I did a lot of drinking in this area,” she said. Later, she writes, “I was drinking to cover the pain.”

Scalp Lock is acutely aware of the proximity of Shelf Life Books to Central Park where she subsequently met many of her people when she dedicated herself to helping others. This calling echoes like a refrain throughout her life’s work with child welfare, running in the provincial election, and 18 years of leadership as an elected official of the Siksika band council.

Scalp Lock met co-author Jim Pritchard while he was working at Alberta Children’s Services, and has maintained a 35–year connection with him and others in the field of social work, many of whom were in attendance.

Having attended residential school for 14 years, Scalp Lock relates how she explored different faiths and religious groups.
“I was reaching everywhere,” she said. Eventually, she found her way back to her roots. “I went back to the traditional way, the way my father raised me.”

Scalp Lock’s legacy of a lifetime of dedication to helping people was solidified by the traditional name she was given by her great aunt, Margaret Bad Boy. In the book she relates her aunt’s words, “My Girl, it is time that you have a name, a special name, one that will help you in your work for our women. Back in 1930, me and my husband had a sacred shield transferred to us at a Sundance. It is Awo Taan, the Shield. Now I will give you this name, Awo Taanaakii, meaning Shield Woman. You will have the protection of the Shield. It will also shield the women you protect, and it will shield all who walk with you on your path.”

Fittingly, Scalp Lock gave the name Awo Taan to the first traditional women’s healing shelter in Calgary, which took her eight years to establish.  It was and continues to be her belief that work must be done with the whole family to keep the circle strong.

A section of the book is dedicated to “Adopted Relatives,” including former Premier Ralph Klein and Scalp Lock’s adopted grandson, Theoren Fleury, also in attendance.  She first met Fleury in the 1990s when she brought youth from Siksika to his hockey camp in Calgary.

“I never gave up hope on Theo. I always had visions of him. He needed an Elder to help him,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter who it is. If anyone approaches, I am there to listen and to walk with those people until the day they can walk on their own and move forward.”