Learning from Land

Blackfoot people refer to the land as kitaohsinnoon - 'the place where we receive our sustenance'.

Since time immemorial, the language and the land have been intertwined, and we have a responsibility to our children to teach them our history and language. The language of this land needs to continue because it tells the story of our identities, cultures, and histories.

"Sacred sites are approached as if they are Elders; gifts of tobacco, clothes, and other personal items that have value are offered, which feed our ancestors and are understood to be the sustenance for sacred things of the past." -- Andy Blackwater, 2005 (Káhsinnóoniksi: Learning from Place)

"The Blackfoot were taught from infancy and throughout their lifetime how to survive and be in harmony with their environment. A yearly cycle not only replenished their food, material sources but also rekindled their mental, physical and spiritual well being." - Roslyn Lapier (Relationship with the Land – Seasonal Round Unit Resource  Glenbow Museum)

Learning from the land means benefiting from nature's teachings. Our children need to learn from the earth, the elements, and the animals. This will help them understand ceremony, how to live their lives, how to care for others, and how to respect our culture and the Blackfoot way of life.

Learn more about kitaohsinnoon 

Learn more about land acknowledgements. 

Learn more about the language of seasons, directions, and animals.

Kitaohsinnoon

There have been many maps recorded since contact with "White Swan" being one of the earliest. 

Today our Elders tell us that the maps only cover a partial aspect of our longstanding relationship with the land. A recent map created for an educational partnership outlines the names of various places and rivers within Kitaohsinnoon.

The Mioohpokoiiksi project video "Blackfoot names for rivers and the importance of water" adds to the knowledge of names of rivers and the importance of water to the Blackfoot.

Land acknowledgements

Holy Spirit Catholic Schools acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta.

Our recognition of this land is an act of reconciliation and an expression of our gratitude to those whose territory we reside on, or are visiting. 

It is important that everyone living in Treaty 7 territory understand the history of this land. The land acknowledgement is a way to help teach children about their own connections with the land they call home. By honouring Blackfoot people as the original stewards of this land, we can help Indigenous and non-Indigenous children, long-time residents and newcomers, understand the significance of the land in their own lives.

Additional resources on Treaty 7 land acknowledgments include:

• short video from the University of Calgary

• short video from the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth

• short video from the Calgary Foundation

• St. Francis Jr. High Land Acknowledgement and Prayer (link at bottom of page)

• The Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) Land Acknowledgements

Directions

The Blackfoot words for east and west reflect the topography of the land. In particular, they can be traced to an area known as Napi's Playground at the mouth of the Oldman River. If you are looking east from this area, you are looking down, and if you are looking west, you are looking up.

The word for east in Blackfoot is innap, which is related to inn- 'down'.

The word for west is waami't, which is related to waamis 'up.'

Animals

There are good resources for learning Blackfoot words for animals, including:

• Animals - vocabulary introduction and practice exercises (Galt Museum)

• Animals - Blackfoot language lessons (Blackfeet Indian Language Preservation Committee)

• Alphabet Animoves video