Nature, Weather and Time

Sun, Moon, Stars and Environments

Naato’si: Sun

Ko’komiki’somm: Moon

Kakatosi: Stars

Miistakiitsi [plural miistak’kiitsi]: Mountain

Ksaahkoom: Earth

Nii’itahtaa: River

Sspoohtsi: Sky

Days of the Week

• Naa to yi ksis tsi ko: Sunday (holy day) 

• Is si ka to yi ksis tsi ko: Monday (day after holy day) 

• Otomohtsistokissiskaatoyiksistsikohpi: Tuesday (2nd day after holy day) 

• Ii to waa naok’ kso’ kii’ pi: Wednesday (half a day opening of stores) 

• Ii kai taist tsi no’ pa: Thursday (old ration day) 

• Ma mii ksis tsi ko: Friday (fish day) 

• To’ toh taa to yii ksis tsi ko: Saturday (day before holy day) 

• A pi na kos: tomorrow

• Ma to ni: yesterday

Calendar Moons

Omahksiki’soom: January (old moon)

Piitaiki’soom: February (eagle moon)

Sa’aiki’soom: March (duck moon)

Matsiyikkapisaki’soom: April (frog moon)

Aapitsisskitsaato’s: May (flower blossom moon)

Miisamssootaa: June (long rains)

Okonokistsi otsitai’tssp: July (blue berries ripe)

Iitayiitsimaahkao’p: August (chokecherries ripe)

Awaasiiki’soom: September (deer moon)

Mo’kaato’s: October (fall moon)

Iitao’tsstoyii: November (cold weather arrives)

Misamiko’komiaato’s: December (long nights)

Weather Reporting

• Ai soo poo: it’s windy

• Iisoopoowa: it was windy

• Aa ksoo poowa: it will be windy

• Ai siks soo poo: chinook wind (describes how wind blows over snow)

• Aaksikssoopoo: there will be a chinook wind

• Ai soot aa: it’s raining

• Iissotaa: it rained

• Aa ksoo taa: it will rain

• Aoh po taa: it’s snowing (koon’ sko: snow)

• Iihpootaawa: it snowed

• Aa koh po taawa: it will snow

• Ii taa mi ksis tsi ko: It’s a nice day

• Iikitamiksistsiko: it was a nice day

• Aa ki ta mi ksis tsi ko: it will be a nice day

Seasons

Ssto yii: winter

Mo to: spring

Nii poo: summer

Mo ko: fall

Stories

Weasels and Rabbits 

As the weather warms in springtime, animals such as weasels and rabbits move from sheltered wooded valleys and hills onto the plains. Another sign of spring is when aapaikai, weasels, and aaataistaiks, rabbits, change colour from white to brown. (For more Blackfoot stories about seasonal changes and movements see Glenbow Museum, “Niitsitapiisini: Our Way of Life,” https://www.glenbow.org/blackfoot/EN/html/onto_the_prairies.htm)

Ksistaki, beavers, are predictors of weather. If ksistaki build a dam in the middle of a river it means a severe, cold and harsh winter is ahead. If they build it near a bank the weather will be mild.

Napi and the Black Birch

One time Napi was out walking when a storm came up and a strong wind began blowing him around. He grabbed at the branches of fur, pine and spruce trees, but they all broke off. Finally, he was saved by a birch tree, whose flexible branches bent but did not break. When the wind calmed down Napi began beating the birch tree with a stick, irritated that the tree had stopped him from having fun being blown about in the wind. The marks left by Napi’s stick are still visible in the striped bark of the birch trees. (Glenbow Museum, “Niitsitapiisini: Our Way of Life,” https://www.glenbow.org/blackfoot/EN/html/traditional_stories.htm. A longer version of the story appears in Frank Bird Linderman, Indian Why Stories: Sparks from War Eagle’s Lodge-fire. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1915; Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1996.)

Directions

• A pahtoh soh tsi: north 

• Am ska po tsi: south

• A mi toh tsi: west 

• Pin na poh tsi: east

• A mi soh tsi: up (describes upper floor)

• Spo moh tsi: heavens

• Sai ni soh tsi: down (describes lower level)

• Kso’wah tsi: ground