The Blackfoot Digital Library (BDL) has received a Blackfoot name — Apani. The name, chosen by Elder Jerry Potts, translates to moth or butterfly and means ‘those that transfer knowledge.’
“It is noted in Blackfoot mythology as a carrier of information,” said Potts. “On a lot of Blackfoot teepees that come from dreams, you’ll see that symbol on the back of them.”
The BDL, launched about 15 years ago through a joint effort of the University of Lethbridge and Red Crow College, provides a central space for field notes, photographs, images of Blackfoot objects, and recordings that have spread around the world. With a wealth of information, the library is a venue for sharing stories about Blackfoot families and communities. BDL also presents a way to respond to publications that have misinterpreted or misrepresented Blackfoot experiences and way of life and is designed to be an educational resource.
“I really cherish our old ceremonial items, like the beaver bundle,” says Potts. “It goes back thousands of years, back to, on the Blackfoot timeline, when dogs could talk. Those bundles are still active today. The old people, everything they did meant something, and the library allows younger people to learn about these things.”
Along with receiving a Blackfoot name, a core group of people, comprised of Heavy Head, Christine Clark (BFA – New Media ’10, MFA – New Media ’14), a new media professor, library systems staff and students, has been evaluating how the content is structured in the digital library.
“I’m already a big Blackfoot nerd,” said Bryce Many Fingers, an undergraduate student studying psychology and art who is part of the core group. “As an artist, I like to get into dating the archives and collections and seeing the objects on the Mootookakio’ssin site and incorporating that into my art.”
He says learning more about Blackfoot history has given him insight into how to go about creating his artwork. For example, knowing that many of the photos of Blackfoot people taken by white people were an attempt to document a disappearing culture makes him more intentional when taking photos himself.
“There are a bunch of ways that working on the BDL benefits me personally, and then I’m just hoping others can utilize the resource,” he said.
For Blair Many Fingers, a master’s student in the Cultural, Social and Political Thought program, the most valuable lesson was applying Indigenous research methods based on collective relationality with the community of people who contributed to the project.
“I learned from the Elders, knowledge keepers and all the research participants, such as the librarians and FNMI liaison workers we conducted focus groups with, and so much from my supervisors, Danielle Heavy Head, Christine Clark and Dr. Josephine Mills,” Blair said. “The dream world, to the Blackfoot, is where the transfer of knowledge occurs. In that sense, the digital collection of Blackfoot knowledge is a place where people can learn about the Blackfoot way of life. However, I must advise that the digital library is meant to be a spark and gateway to lifelong learning and embodying the values of our ancestors. Part of learning is fostering real-life relations with our Elders, who teach us about the beauty of creation through stories, song, ceremony and language.”
Some of the major changes to the BDL include an extensive land acknowledgement developed by Blair and protocols for using the information in the library.
“That was part of our process of thinking about how we want to bring people into this space and set the terms of engagement with people,” said Clark. “Blair is working on a few more pieces for the site that will talk about protocol and how to access the information respectfully and in ways that are appropriate.”
Another focus for the revitalization work was to add more context to the records, such as sorting records into beginner, intermediate or advanced information, so users can more easily identify the appropriate records. Work was also done to connect each record to a list of names and places where, previously, a record would only link to an origin location and a current location.
“It’s very important to have connections to the land,” says Heavy Head. “Within Blackfoot ways of thinking, everything needs to be connected back to the land where we belong.”
In addition, Bryce has been adding Niitsitapi values to each record while incorporating the Blackfoot language. Work to update the records will continue as the BDL site grows. Having a Blackfoot name provides an umbrella for that future growth.
“When you give something a name, that means it’s alive,” says Bryce.
Funding for the Blackfoot name and revitalization project included the Indigenous Research Engagement grant from the Office of Research & Innovation Services, the Niitsitapi Circle of Excellence in Work-Integrated Learning (NCEWIL) from the Centre for Work Integrated Learning and Career Development, and the University of Lethbridge Library.