Notice Board

The University of Lethbridge expresses its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of prominent Blackfoot filmmaker and former sessional instructor Narcisse Blood, who passed away tragically on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015.

Blood, whose Blackfoot name was Tatsikiistamik (Middle Bull), was working on a film project in Regina at the time of his passing.

A highly respected member of the Blackfoot community, Blood taught as a sessional instructor at the University of Lethbridge in varying capacities. He first began working in the Faculty of Arts and Science in 2004 before turning his attention to the Faculty of Education, where he worked as a sessional from 2005 through to 2010.

Blood was a University of Lethbridge student himself and was followed to the U of L by his children and grandchildren. He currently served as the Elder on the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Chapter of the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association.

As the coordinator of Kainai Studies at Red Crow Community College, Blood worked closely with Dr. Cynthia Chambers of the U of L's Faculty of Education as they developed and co-taught a number of courses together. One of those courses, Education 5510, was offered as a graduate seminar called Blackfoot Pedagogy (Practice of Teaching Series). It involved taking people to sacred Blackfoot sites and having them actively engage with the land to better understand the Blackfoot culture.

"Narcisse Blood was a true Niitsitapi, a compassionate teacher committed to becoming more fully human and to teaching others what the Blackfoot contribute to the world," says Chambers. "As a teacher, Narcisse was curious, compassionate and creative. Narcisse taught at Red Crow College and the U of L for many years, and he lectured at universities across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Wherever he spoke and taught, Narcisse Blood showed others what it is to be a human being. His co-workers and his students held him in the highest regard. Now he has gone to the other side and those of us left behind will deeply miss his endearing presence."

Dr. Erika Hasebe-Ludt also worked closely with Blood and had great respect for the relationships he fostered within the University community.

"His contributions to the Faculty of Education are significant and enduring," she says. "As an elder and invited guest in our graduate cohort’s classes, he invited students to experience Blackfoot literacies of the land and to walk with him in the places of his homeland. Along with our students, we were blessed to visit with and learn from Narcisse. He was a true teacher and researcher whose stories will continue to teach us, always."

Blood will be greatly missed by the University community, his many friends, students and colleagues.

A wake service will be held at the Kainai High School, Blood Reserve on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 7 to 11 p.m. The funeral service will be held at the Kainai High School, Blood Reserve on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. Interment in the Blood Family Cemetery, Blood Reserve.