Sessions

ONSITE BREAKOUT SESSIONS

A: The Bison-Naming Project and Educational Pathways

Presenters: Hutch Sitting Eagle, Jessee Wise

Description: This presentation highlights the Bison Calf Naming Project, a unique collaboration between the Siksika Nation Board of Education (SBE) and the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. This student-centred project builds on a 2022 shared memorandum of Understanding between the Zoo and Siksika Nation. At its core, the project demonstrates how language and culture can inform conservation education while creating meaningful opportunities for Siksika students. Rooted in Siksika ways of knowing, the naming process gave voice to youth, affirmed cultural knowledge, and embedded Blackfoot language into a living conservation initiative. By weaving culture, language, and science, the Bison Naming Project demonstrates how partnerships can empower Indigenous youth, strengthen identity, and provide direct educational opportunities in ecology, conservation, and environmental studies.

Session 1, McKnight West

B: Conservation, Language and Cultural Renewal

Presenter: Hutch Sitting Eagle, Millie Coleing, Ryan Nielson, Katherine Varze

Description: This presentation explores the developing partnership between the Siksika Board of Education (SBE) and the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo through a conservation lens. The focus is on how language and culture guide collaborative projects involving both plant and animal life. Beginning with plant restoration, the initiative envisions reintroducing traditional plant species into Siksika territory, starting in greenhouses and eventually returning them to the land. From the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo perspective, this partnership is designed to create educational pipelines—introducing students to ecology, veterinary sciences, and environmental fields. Together, these projects demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge and western science work alongside each other, ensuring that conservation efforts honour both ecological sustainability and cultural renewal.

Session 2, McKnight West

Session 3, McNight West

C: Natosapi Book Club

Presenter: Christie Owl Child

Learn about an engaging book club at SBE’s Chief Old Sun School. This club is celebrating its 10th year. In this session, you will learn about some of the ways reading has been made fun and engaging for kids over the past decade. Christie always tells kids in this club “one of my dreams is one day I will walk into a book store and I’ll see a book written by one of you kids! Or I’ll go into a movie and see it is written and directed by one of you!” The notion that writing can be healing is also addressed. Writing is viewed as a method for handling the struggles students face by allowing them to be storytellers!  Visit this session to learn about the Natosapi book club and how it engages kids in reading and writing.

Session 1, Horizon Room

Session 2, Horizon Room

D: Blackfoot Confederacy Public Art Initiative

Presenters: Jared Tailfeathers, Tamara Cardinal

An engagement session for Blackfoot Confederacy community members about Calgary Arts Development's (CADA) Blackfoot Confederacy public art Initiative. We are going to share a presentation about the project and the proposed ideas, and open to community members to talk to us after the presentation for more information or to answer questions. We want to make sure that the Blackfoot members feel included, can give ideas and feedback, share their stories of Mohkinstsis and that they can apply for the Public Art opportunity when the call goes out in early 2026. This project directly connects many of the conference themes: Honouring Our Heritage, Digital Storytelling, and Modern Tech Meets Tradition.

Session 4, McKnight West

E: Drama Games

Presenter: Nova Courchene

This interactive workshop will introduce participants to drama games designed with Ojibwe language, teachings, and traditional knowledge at their core. These exercises embed learning into the body through movement, repetition, and story, positioning theatre as a form of embodied technology — one that encodes knowledge in action and performance. Participants will engage in short rounds of these games in Ojibwe, then collaborate to adapt the structures with their own input, including Blackfoot language and teachings. The session will conclude with digital excerpts from askîy âcimona in Norway House Cree Nation, where performances are documented and shared to extend their reach. This integration of live practice with digital transmission illustrates how embodied and technological approaches can work together to sustain language, intergenerational learning, and cultural resilience.

Session 4, MacLeod Room

Session 5, MacLead Room

F: How Money Works

Presenter: Michelle Eagle Tail Feathers

The presentation teaches niitsitapiksi an understanding on how money works by teaching them the magic of compound interest, pension plans, the impact on 9+% on RRSP/TFSA's, how to get the same coverage of life and/or mortgage insurance but pay 30-70% less, than take the difference and invest it. The presentation also touches on how niitsitapiksi can pay off debts 4-5 years sooner, with no new money from their pockets, get more back on their taxes, and how the average person can become financially independent and debt free. The knowledge of "How Money Works" can be passed down from generation to generation.

Session 2, Barlow

Session 6, Barlow

G: Using Traditional Knowledge in the High School Curriculum

Presenter: Verna Weasel Child

In this presentation, Kipiitaipoka-Apoyi Apapoka (Verna Weasel Child) will discuss ways of incorporating traditional knowledge into the high school curriculum. Learn how incorporating traditional Blackfoot perspectives, culture, and practices into the program of studies can create engaging and authentic learning experiences.

Session 4, Horizon

Session 5, Horizon

H: Land-Based Learning

Presenters: Tyler Drake, Melodie Hunt

This presentation will outline and examine the land-based learning program developed for Chief Old Sun School’s grade five and six students by Mrs. Hunt. Through this program, students learn about the Blackfoot way of life about their land, history, story and community within Blackfoot territory and our world today. Students attend a number of field trips with culturally and historically significant sites. With the guidance of Knowledge Keepers in the classroom and at field trips, students participate in activities including learning protocols before plant picking, the significance of the Majorville Medicine Wheel to the Blackfoot, a visit to Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, and a buffalo harvest and more. At the end of this experience, students participate in the “Lead by Example Cultural Sharing Day.”  Here they share their learning and experiences, as well as aspects of their Blackfoot history, culture, story, songs, dances, language and more with students from surrounding school jurisdictions of Siksika Nation.

Session 4, Canadian

Session 5, Canadian

I: Walking With the Buffalo Within

Presenter: Pam Sitting Eagle, Gerald Sitting Eagle

Walking With The Buffalo Within (WWBW) explores how traditional Blackfoot stories can connect people to their new age and ancestral identities. Bridging traditions and modernity requires a balanced approach. Integrating culture, language, and traditions into education fosters knowledge sharing, story telling, and craft techniques. Education is crucial for revitalizing culture, language, and identity. Explaining one’s language is vital through communication, expression, cultural identity, preservation, and knowledge. Language reflects a community’s history, values, and way of life, shaping how we communicate through verbal cues and sign language. This presentation explores how language is intertwined with identity, connecting people to their heritage and promoting a sense of belonging. In this way, language is the “new buffalo” for passing down stories, traditions, and knowledge through generations. Figurative language often conveys deeper emotions than literal language, allowing for richer emotional connections and interpretations. Hands-on culture activities are essential for keeping culture and language thriving through arts, ceremonies, and storytelling. They become a living culture supporting meaningful experiential learning through language. Without understanding cultural meaning, language can be lost, miscommunicated, and disconnected from its roots, thus resulting in language and culture loss..

Session 4, Barlow 

Session 5, Barlow

J: Technology Infrastructure

Presenter: Jason Walters

Educational institutions are under increasing pressure to modernize IT infrastructure while facing persistent uncertainty in long-term funding models. Traditional approaches to technology investment—large capital expenditures with fixed lifecycles—create significant financial risk when budgets are unpredictable. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) GreenLake offers a consumption-based, as-a-service model that can help institutions overcome these challenges by aligning technology costs with actual usage and shifting expenditures from capital to operational budgets. This presentation will explore how HPE GreenLake enables schools, colleges, and universities to access enterprise-grade IT solutions without the burden of upfront investment. By providing scalable capacity on demand, GreenLake allows institutions to adjust resources dynamically as enrollment, research needs, or digital learning demands fluctuate. This flexibility reduces over-provisioning, optimizes cost efficiency, and supports better financial planning in times of uncertain or variable funding. Additionally, GreenLake’s integrated management and support services free overstretched IT staff to focus on student success and innovation rather than routine maintenance. Institutions can also leverage GreenLake’s sustainability features to reduce energy usage and align with environmental goals, further strengthening their value proposition to students and stakeholders. Through real-world use cases and examples, this session will illustrate how HPE GreenLake empowers educational institutions to modernize securely, remain agile in the face of funding unpredictability, and continue delivering high-quality learning experiences without compromise.

Session 3, Horizon

K: Honouring Culture, Strengthening Connection: Networking Family School Liaison Counselors in Indigenous Education

Presenters: Cara Blackwater, Shane Wells

Family School Liaison Counselors (FSLCs) serve as a vital bridge between home, school, and community—especially within our respective Indigenous communities, where relationships, cultural understanding, and trust are foundational. This session invites FSLCs (School Counselors, Wellness Programs) to come together in a space grounded in respect, reciprocity, and shared learning. This session aims to bring together FSLCs from diverse educational settings to build a professional learning network focused on best practices, foster inclusivity, innovation, and mutual support. Participants will engage in structured networking, share successful initiatives and common challenges, and co-create strategies to enhance family engagement, mental health supports, and community partnerships. By fostering collaboration within the Blackfoot Confederacy education districts , this session seeks to strengthen the collective capacity of FSLCs to meet the complex needs of our students and families. Attendees will leave with new connections, practical tools, and a shared vision for elevating the impact of family-school partnerships.

Session 5, McKnight West

Session 6, McKnight West

L: Classroom Champions Circle program Empowers Blackfoot Educators

Presenter: Andrea Dion

Classroom Champions Circle is based on Indigenous engagement and culturally specific programming as developed in collaboration with our community partners.  Funded by the Energizing Communities Collective and the Calgary Foundation, Classroom Champions has partnered with the Siksika Nation to produce digital assets that include 'Star Stories' and messages of hope and resilience from Elders and Knowledge Keepers.  This presentation will also grant access to a virtual Classroom Champions Social Emotional Learning curriculum.  Additional contributors to this Blackfoot content include Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Powwow Athletes as Mentors.  This presentation ensures that participants experience the Classroom Champions Circle platform and access to the Blackfoot content in the form of videos and animation.  

Session 1, MacLeod Room

Session 2, MacLeod Room

M: Calgary Public Library, Indigenous Services

Presenters: Kelli Morning Bull, Jasmine MacGregor, Sarah Buffalo

Indigenous Services was developed out of Indigenous Placemaking and the Elders Guidance Circle program. These programs helped shape the way in which the Calgary Public Library engages and collaborates with the Nations of Treaty 7 and the urban Indigenous community in Mohkinstis. In the earlier stages of development, the Library had some humbling moments that forced them to reevaluate how they were approaching the work of reconciliation and connecting with community. This ultimately became the framework for the Library's strategic plan when working with Indigenous communities.  In this session the audience will learn about the thoughtful approach on how these programs were vital to the development of Indigenous Services and how it guided and created a path to how the  Library shares information on cultural knowledge and protocols, consultation with community, education and learning opportunities for schools, organizations and those taking part in their personal and professional journey of Truth and Reconciliation.  Today, we continue to learn through the guidance of the Elders, knowledge holders, cultural educators and community to support the work in libraries. This presentation will include digital images and videos of how the library offers services, programs and opportunities to learn, contribute to revitalization of Indigenous languages, and the public programs and events offered to Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Calgary Public Library. 

Session 5, McKnight East

N: Blackfoot Youth Water Council

Presenter: Disa Crow Chief, Alayiah Wolf Child, Tyra Cross Child 

This workshop introduces participants to the transformative work of the Blackfoot Youth Water Council, a grassroots initiative reimagining education and training for Indigenous community members through Blackfoot ways of knowing. Participants will learn how the Youth Council has fostered meaningful engagement, both within their communities and with external partners, by centering Indigenous knowledge systems, relational approaches, and intergenerational learning, beyond traditional technically-focused pedagogies. Disa Crow Chief has brought her Blackfoot teachings around the world to various conferences in Mexico, USA, England, Sweden, Brazil, and across Canada. The session will highlight how the Council’s activities have created spaces for youth-led innovation, cultural revitalization, and water stewardship. Through storytelling and shared experiences, participants will gain insight into how these young leaders are reshaping educational paradigms to reflect Indigenous values and priorities. A key component of the workshop will be a guided “dreaming and importance planning” exercise through artistic expression. Drawing inspiration from the Youth Council’s methods, participants will explore their own work and aspirations through a Blackfoot lens - reflecting on how Indigenous frameworks can inform planning, collaboration, mindset framing and community impact. This interactive session invites participants to envision new possibilities for education, research, and engagement rooted in respect, reciprocity, and relationality, building collective understanding on how to engage respectfully with communities, understand the cultural and historical contexts, and work collaboratively across disciplines and worldviews.

Session 1, Canadian

Session 2, Canadian

O: Post-Secondary Funding

Presenter: Patricia Bruised Head

As the late Honorable Murray Sinclair once said, “Education is what got us into this mess, and education will get us out.” These words resonate deeply with my own journey through post-secondary education and my role as Programs Service Manager for Post-Secondary Funding at Red Crow Community College. Navigating the pathway to post-secondary education can be daunting whether you’re a recent high school graduate or someone returning to school later in life. The process is often filled with uncertainty, fear, and questions. But it doesn’t have to be. My goal is to help reveal this journey and empower individuals to take that first step with confidence. Understanding the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of post-secondary education is essential. Who do you talk to? What questions should you ask? Where do you go for support? Why is this path right for you? How do you apply for funding? These are just a few of the critical questions that can shape a successful educational experience. This session will guide attendees through identifying the right program, accessing funding opportunities, and knowing when and how to ask for help. Whether you’re exploring options for yourself or supporting someone else, this is the place to begin your journey. Together, we can build a pathway that leads not only to academic success but to personal growth and community empowerment.

Session 1, Barlow

Session 6, Macleod Room

P: A Financial Literacy Journey

Presenter: James McTavish

My presentation on taking your first steps on your financial and investment journey will walk through the newly developed investor education program created in partnership between the Siksika Board of Education and the Alberta Securities Commission. Available for grades 9-12, the program introduces students to the foundational concepts of financial literacy and investing, framing money as a tool to achieve their personal goals, including supporting their family, starting a business and giving back to their community.  With this year's conference theme of Cultural resilience and Innovation: Bridging tradition and modernity, this presentation explores how students can take the Seventh Generation Principle and apply it to their decisions as they graduate high school. From developing positive future-focused thinking and goals through to creating opportunities to foster intergenerational well-being, participants will learn how this program can create positive and lasting impacts for students as they transition to adulthood and become leaders in their communities.

Session 3, McKnight East

Session 6, Horizon

Q: Moving with Stories: Drama as a Pathway to Cultural Understanding

Presenter: Janine Owl Child

I strive to provide a unique opportunity to educate through hands-on experience, utilizing the creative arts and making connections to Siksika’s understandings. I design my workshops to inspire interest and motivation through art, music, movement, film, and drama. The Theatre arts help build and provide a safe, constructive outlet and supportive environment where participants can explore and develop new knowledge through imagination and creative expression. This "Moving With Stories" workshop equips educators with creative strategies for using the arts to engage students while fostering emotional, cognitive, and cultural growth. Participants will explore how storytelling and drama can function as powerful tools for enhancing literacy, sparking creativity, and building deeper connections in the classroom. A key feature of the session is the use of embodied theatre, an interactive approach where participants physically engage with stories through movement and dramatic expression. By “stepping into” stories, educators experience firsthand how students can develop empathy, imagination, and cultural awareness. This participatory method reflects oral traditions and emphasizes learning that is felt, remembered, and shared across generations. Aligned with the conference themes of “Honouring Our Heritage” and “Intergenerational Learning,” this workshop demonstrates how teaching through theatre strengthens cultural ways of knowing. Educators will leave with adaptable strategies for integrating embodied storytelling into their practice, ensuring that the arts continue to play a vital role in celebrating culture and enriching learning.

Session 3, Barlow

Session 6, Theatre

R: Ani to Pisi Human Spider Web

Presenters: Roy Bear Chief, Therese Wiart Jenkinson, Tia Santana, Michelle Bamford, Jadyn James, Jolene Popadynetz, Lexi Hahn

This session explores Ani to Pisi (the spider web), a traditional Blackfoot creation story told by the late Clement Bear Chief and shared by Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief. The story carries powerful teachings of connection, care, and community, and comes to life through a land-based, interactive enactment. Building on the work of MRU graduate Tia Santana, a toolkit has been developed to support educators in facilitating Ani to Pisi in schools. Participants will view highlights from Human Spider Web Enactments at Chief Crowfoot School (Siksika) and Calgary Board of Education schools and will learn how to access free teaching resources. Fourth-year MRU students will also be available to support schools interested in bringing this story to life with their learners during the following year until April 2026.

Session 1, McKnight East

Session 2, McKnight East

Session 4, McKnight East

S: Siksikaipoi’sin Kii Niipatapiisini - Teaching Language and Culture - Using Technology for Senior High Students

Presenters: Kathy Breaker, Stewart Breaker, Laine Breaker

Senior high students are learning about Siksikaitsitapiisini historical creation stories, Traditional Territory of Siksikaitsitapi while learning the Siksika Language and how it applies to their daily lives now as ahsitapiiksi.  By learning about their history and space, some students are expressing more interest in learning their Blackfoot Language using Technology.  To-date students have worked with On-line Learning while creating a Google Classroom with their own Avatars.  Students are recording their own language phrases on their personal phones.  These Senior high Siksika students have launched their own Youtube Channel, using common phrases, interviews from Knowledge Holders, Avatars, reflections of activities to promote Siksika Language Learning.  This is a "how to workshop".

Session 1, Theatre

T: Engaging Students in Learning Activities to Secure Life Long Skills

Presenters: Kathy Breaker, Mel Czismadia, Trevor Unrau

Using skills from Home Economics, Building Construction and Design Studies, these teachers worked with students to do a complete renovation to Siksika Nation High School’s Home Economics lab, bringing the lab from the 1990's to 2025!  While many students were involved a small  group of students found this project enjoyable and caused them to attend school consistently.  These were students who had challenges with; attendance, hallway walking, chronic skipping, low motivation, etc..  Some of the students gained new insights on their self esteem, how to gain extra credits, some earned bursaries and even summer employment.

Session 6, McKnight East

U: Siksika Traditional Games

Presenters: Darren Weasel Child, Gaylene Weasel Child

Participants will learn about various traditional games that can be taught within the classroom and encompasses Alberta Education curriculum.  This hands-on workshop will allow participants to practice the games and learn how to make the games.   

Session 2, Theatre

Session 3, Theatre

V: Singing is Medicine

Presenters: Alex Scalplock, Melodie Hunt, Josh Cardinal, Sean Cardinal, Calvin Koether

Chief Old Sun School and the SBE are proud to share the art of Powwow singing with our students and our community. Join educators Alex Scalplock, Melodie Hunt, Josh Cardinal, Sean Cardinal, and Calvin Koether, in showcasing some of the incredible cultural programs Natosapi School and the Siksika Board of Education have to offer. We hope that this session will inspire other schools to create their own programs, give some guidance in how such programs can be implemented, and give an opportunity to move, sing, and connect with the art of Powwow.

Session 3, Canadian

Session 6, Canadian

W: Blackfoot as a Second Language: Learning to Read and Write Blackfoot Using the Blackfoot Syllabarium

Presenter: Mona Melting Tallow, Sissakiikayaakii

As a third-generation Residential School survivor and an educator with nearly three decades of experience, I am deeply committed to the revitalization of Indigenous languages. Currently serving as Registrar at Natosapi Community College, I have completed intensive Blackfoot literacy and culture studies as part of my B.Ed., as well as graduate coursework in leadership, technology, and trauma. This presentation explores the use of the Blackfoot Syllabarium as an accessible and effective tool for teaching Blackfoot literacy to second-language learners. The Blackfoot Syllabarium, originally developed by Anglican missionaries, utilizes English phonetic approximations to represent Blackfoot sounds. Instruction involves introducing learners to the syllabic symbols, practicing pronunciation, and composing simple texts. Emphasis is placed on understanding the unique sounds and accents of the Blackfoot language to support accurate reading and writing. Participants are able to read and write basic Blackfoot words and sentences using both English and syllabic scripts. While initial proficiency can be achieved through guided practice, continued engagement and exposure are necessary to develop fluency. The survival of the Blackfoot language—and other Indigenous languages—depends on innovative and accessible teaching methods. The Blackfoot Syllabarium offers a practical solution for second-language learners, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural identity. By equipping students with literacy skills in their ancestral language, we contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous heritage.

Session 3, Macleod

Session 5, Theatre