The Sacred Essence of Blackfoot Culture

“Our way of life is a collective. All Blackfoot people are one.” - Johnathon Red Gun (Siksika) 

In Blackfoot Territory, a powerful people is in relationship with a powerful place. At the Continental Divide, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains leap out from prairies that stretch out flat for what feels like forever. Rivers from Blackfoot Territory flow across much of North America, and the Blackfoot see their territory as the source of water for this vast continent. 

Spend time with people from the Blackfoot Confederacy who are resisting ongoing colonialism, awakening their culture, listening to elders, and regaining sovereignty of their land, language, and spirit. As Liz Fox (Kainai) shares, “Living your culture and wanting to preserve it; there's a lot of work that goes into it, and there's a lot of peace that comes from it.” In addition to Liz Fox, we’re also honored to share the voices and stories of Doane Crow Shoe (Piikani), Rose Fox (Kainai), Johnathon Red Gun (Siksika), Tyson Running Wolf (Blackfeet Nation), and Lona Running Wolf (Blackfeet, Haida, Little Shell Creek.) There are four tribes within the Blackfoot Confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, and Amskapi Piikani (commonly referred to as Blackfeet Nation.) 

This episode includes interviews and audio from the Wayfinders Circle film “Siksikaitsitapi,” which has been co-created with the Blackfoot Confederacy and directed by Bryan Gunnar Cole, with additional production support from Nils Cowan and Jacob Bearchum.  

We’re grateful for the collaboration on this story with the Blackfoot Confederacy, which is part of the Wayfinders Circle. Wayfinders Circle is a global network of Indigenous Peoples from around the world who work to strengthen self-determination in managing their lands and territories and maintain the cultural and spiritual continuity through intergenerational transmissions. It is a joint effort convened by the Pawanka Fund, World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners, and Nia Tero. 

Special thanks  to Nia Tero colleagues Mariana López, Marianna Olinger, Michael Painter, and David Rothschild. 

Host: Jessica Ramirez. Producer + Audio Mix: Jenny Asarnow: Story Editor: Jacob Bearchum.  

Links: 

• The Blackfoot Confederacy website + Facebook
• Blackfeet Eco Knowledge 

More Wayfinders Circle Collaborations:

• The Boat of Dreams: How the Achuar Embraced Solar Power 
• The Omen Birds Still Sing in Sungai Utik
• Tuhaymani'chi Pal Waniqa (The Water Flows Always) in the Mojave Desert

Seedcast is a production of Nia Tero, a global nonprofit which supports Indigenous land guardianship around the world through policy, partnership, and storytelling initiatives.

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