Bret Hart Receives Honorary Blackfoot Name ‘Courageous Chief’

Bret “The Hitman” Hart has received a new title, “Courageous Chief.”

On Thursday, the WWE Hall of Famer was given an honorary Blackfoot name at an indigenous ceremony in Calgary.

The traditional naming ceremony was performed at Mount Royal University by Siksika Elder Miiksika’am or Clarence Wolfleg Sr.

RELATED: Bret Hart Comments On The Passing Of Jim Neidhart

“I think it’s a great name. It might be too bold a name for me… It’s a huge honour for me. Growing up here all my life, being from Calgary, there’s a strong sensitivity to the struggles [to Indigenous people],” Hart told Calgary Herald.

The new Blackfoot nickname, Iyiikitapinna, which means “Courageous Chief” in English, is named after an old honored warrior, Miiksika’am said.

“My father always appreciated what the native people did for him,” said Hart. “They supported him for years and years. The wrestling shows he ran on reservations were usually an effort to raise money for the reserve.”

Elder Miiksika’am who performed the naming ceremony said that he has been watching Hart on TV since the ’70s.

“For myself, watching him, I never knew in the future that I would be paying my respects to a great warrior.”