Uncovering the Untold Stories of the Blackfoot People

Past issues of the Lethbridge Herald have long served as an encyclopedia of community life, a Who’s Who of Southwest Alberta. However, not everyone was fairly represented. In the Galt Museum’s archives are images of Blackfoot people once featured in the newspaper without identification, leaving their stories untold. The 1,000 Faces Project was designed to bridge this gap by recovering and preserving their names in archival records.

ArticleBlaise RussellApril 2, 2024Indigenous History, Indigenous, BlackfootComment

Museum Exhibit Highlights Stories of Stolen Kainai Children

In addition to Survivors of the Indian Residential School (IRS), survivors of other colonial school systems the Canadian government initiated and implemented for over a century and a half also deserve recognition. As a member of the Kainai (Blood Tribe) of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Treaty 7 territory in Alberta, Tiffany Prete’s research has involved analyzing the educational policies behind the IRS and other colonial schooling models.

ArticleTiffany PreteDecember 5, 2023Galt Museum & ArchivesResidential, Residential Schools, Kainai, Reconciliation, Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous History, IndigenousComment

Making History Today

Oki. A relatively small Blackfoot word—however it is packed with meaning and cultural significance. The word can mean many things in English including: ‘hello’, ‘greetings’ and ‘welcome’.

ArticleDarrin J Martens Aaká óóhkotoki (Many rocks)June 16, 2022Galt Museum & ArchivesMuseums, Lethbridge, Reconciliation, Gathering Place, Inclusion, Mission, Vision, Indigenous, Oki, TipiComment

Indigenous Curators

The Galt hosts Indigenous-led exhibitions and in-house exhibitions that incorporate Indigenous voices, history and perspectives. Learn about previous and current exhibits from Kalli Eagle Speaker.

Article, Indigenous HistoryKalli Eagle SpeakerApril 19, 2022Niitsitapi, Blackfoot, Indigenous, Métis, Curatorial, Curator, Exhibitions, Exhibit, Calendar, Beadwork, Kainaiwa Beadwork, Lethbridge Eats, Breathe.Comment

The History of Canada’s Residential School System

Between 1880 and 1980, ten Residential Schools operated in our own backyard, or Treaty 7 lands. The impact of residential schools has caused generations of Indigenous youth to strive to relearn and preserve cultural ways of knowing as intergenerational victims.

Article, Indigenous HistoryKalli Eagle SpeakerAugust 10, 2021Galt Museum & ArchivesResidential School, Truth and Reconciliation, Reconciliation, Colonization, Canada, Treaty 7, Indigenous, Children, Childhood, Trauma, Assimilation, Lethbridge, Southern Alberta, HistoryComment

Iiksisawaato’p Kainaiwa O’tookátákssin: Maana’pii ki niita’piitsitapii saatstakssin | We Visit with Kainaiwa Beadwork: A New Way and the Real Way of Design

Exhibit organizers Hali Heavy Shield, Kalli Eagle Speaker and Carol Williams speak about the special meanings and connection of traditional Kainai and Niitsitapi beadwork pieces and designs

Online Presentation, Indigenous HistoryGalt Museum & ArchivesFebruary 26, 2021Galt Museum & ArchivesKainaiwa Beadwork, Niitsitapi, Blackfoot, Craft, Beadwork, Exhibit, Curatorial, Glenbow Museum, Archives, Indigenous, TraditionalKnowledge, KainaiComment

The Buffalo Journal: Episode 5

A performance by Buffy Sainte-Marie, discusses the changes to traditional ways of living among the Peigan people after the signing of Treaty 7 and more.

Indigenous HistoryGraham RuttanJune 18, 2020Galt Museum & ArchivesBuffy Sainte-Marie, Peigan, Tradition, Blackfoot, Indigenous, History, Culture, Pow wow, Buffalo Princess Pageant, Head-Smashed-In, Eagle Bonnet, War Bonnet, Demonstration, Galt Museum & ArchivesComment