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Nitawahsin’nanni: Our Home and Our Land
“Amsskapipiikunniwa, Kainaiwa, Siksikawa, and Aapatohsipiikunniwa, members of Siksikatsiitapiwa, known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, occupying since time immemorial our collective traditional territory bounded on the North by the North Saskatchewan River, On the East by the confluence of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers (including the Great Sand Hills and Old Lady Lake), on the South by the Yellowstone River, and on the West by the Continental divide; this said territory given to us by the creator to live in harmony with all of his creation.”
Declaration of Siksikatsiitapiwa (Blackfoot Confederacy), 2000
Sacred Geography
Blackfoot Confederacy sacred geography centers on four areas: the Bow River, the Porcupine Hills, the Blood Clot Hills, and the Rocky Mountains, Miistakiistsi. These are places where the holiest gifts were given to the people.
The Beaver Bundle was gifted to the Blackfoot people here at Paahtómahksikimi. It represents all natural life: the four-legged, the winged, and those who live in the water. It signifies the sacred kinship the Blackfoot have with all of life and our connection to the natural world.
One Land, Many Ecosystems
From the depths of the lake to the prairie grasslands to the high mountains, Blackfoot territory holds many distinct ecosystems, and within them a wealth of knowledge. Blackfoot people understand that all things are connected, so it is important to pay attention to all forms of life and to respect the land and water. From the Blackfoot perspective, life is enriched by the knowledge and experience of being in a place. Aatappiiskoo: that place is living.
