It is said that the walled Village south of Cluny Alberta was established around 1710-1720 by a group of Mandan/Hidatsa or another aboriginal group of the middle Missouri basin. Blackfoot legend tells a tale of strangers who came into their lands and established this village. Used it as a base from which to gather food. After a few years they moved on, some say to the west some to the south and some back east. After this time the place became known as healing place where the Siksika people would go to live and be healed. This happened during the epidemics that came later.

More information can be found by reading "Cluny an Ancient Fortified Village in Alberta by Richard G.Forbis, Occasional Papers No. 4 Department of Archaeology The University of Calgary.