Scholarship program to honour influential quartet, support educational opportunities for Blackfoot students

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 17:22:04 +0000

In honour of National Philanthropy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15, those of us at the U of L's UNews website wanted to highlight some stories from our archives. Each day this week, we'll republish a story that demonstrates the many ways the campus community benefits from philanthropy. Our second story describes the efforts of the Janes to honour Blackfoot Elders and create awards for Blackfoot students.

Seeking to preserve the Blackfoot cultural legacies of four influential men while furthering educational opportunities for Blackfoot students, Dr. Robert and Mrs. Priscilla Janes and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have created a series of new student awards for Blackfoot students.

Dr. Robert and Mrs. Priscilla Janes and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have created a series of new student awards for Blackfoot students.

The awards, for both graduate and undergraduate level students from the Blackfoot Confederacy, are named in honour and in memory of Narcisse (Tatsikiistamik “Middle Bull”) Blood, Gerald (Sikapiistamix “Grey Bull”) Conaty, Allan (Mi’kskimmiisoka’simii “Iron Shirt”) Pard, and Frank (Miiksskim “Iron”) Weasel Head.

“I knew these men and worked with them closely over the course of 25 years and then, all of a sudden, they all passed away within about three years of each other,” says Dr. Janes. “That had been on my mind ever since and I’d been thinking, how can these men be recognized, and their legacies carried on in some way? So, Priscilla and I came up with this idea of scholarships, which we named for them.”

Janes, who now lives in Canmore with his wife Priscilla, has a long history of working with the country’s First Nations and Inuit peoples. He was the founding director of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, NWT and spent 14 years working with Northern residents to establish the first professional museum in the Canadian Subarctic, as well as the Science Institute of the NWT.

Janes then took over as President and Chief Executive Officer at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum (1989-2000) and went to work on building stronger relationships with First Nations.

“That was a process of hiring the right people and developing relationships with the Four Nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy,” he says. “We began by striking a First Nations Advisory Council, hiring Blackfoot staff, and meeting the Blackfoot personally at their traditional ceremonies. Over time, a relationship of trust, mutual respect and learning developed. The culmination of this relationship was the decision to return sacred Blackfoot objects to the Confederacy – the largest repatriation of its kind in Canadian history.”

Upon leaving the Glenbow, Janes continued to work with First Nations peoples on a number of projects. When he looked at establishing a series of scholarships to honour his late colleagues, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge stood out due to its close relationship with the Blackfoot Confederacy and its longtime commitment to First Nations, Métis and Indigenous (FNMI) education.

“They were all key players in preserving the Blackfoot culture in Alberta,” Janes says of his late friends. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was a natural because it truly is in the heart of Blackfoot country and has a very strong presence of both Blackfoot undergraduate and graduate students – it was just a natural fit.”

U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon says the gift will further promote Blackfoot education at the U of L and serve as a valuable link to the men who were so committed to preserving Blackfoot culture.

“We’re extremely fortunate to be able to present these scholarships and very thankful to Dr. Janes and Priscilla for this enduring gift,” says Mahon, who was bestowed the Blackfoot name Iipisowahsi or Morning Star, meaning son of the sun and the moon, when he was inducted into the Kainai Chieftainship in 2012. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ embraces its responsibility to continue to provide educational opportunities for Blackfoot students and for preserving their rich culture for generations to come. Through this gift, Blackfoot students will be encouraged to celebrate the legacies left by these very influential and prominent men, and to continue the work they devoted so much to over the course of their lives.”

The undergraduate and graduate level awards will be available to students from the Blackfoot Confederacy: Siksika, Piikani (North and South Peigan) and Kainaiwa (Blood) who actively participate and contribute to their Blackfoot culture and heritage through activities of preservation, interpretation or celebration.

The first recipients of the awards are: Constance Day Chief (Dr. Gerald Conaty Memorial Award); Miracle Grier (Narcisse Blood Award); Alison Frank (Frank Weasel Head Award); Malcolm Many Chiefs (Allan Pard Award).

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge names Native American Studies Student Lounge in honour of late Narcisse Blood

caroline.zentner — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:19:46 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors approved a recommendation from the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Alumni Chapter that the Student Lounge in the area of Native American Studies (NAS) be dedicated in honour of the late Narcisse Blood.

In addition to the many activities associated with the annual Native Awareness Week, the U of L paused to recognize the incredible contributions of Narcisse Blood to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In a small ceremony Thursday organized by the FNMI Chapter, it was announced the Student Lounge in the NAS area would be named Tatsikiistamik (Middle Bull) in honour of Blood. A dedication in the Student Lounge is being planned for a later date.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear talks with Alvine Mountain Horse, widow of Narcisse Blood, during a ceremony Thursday.

As the Elder to the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Chapter of the Alumni Association, prominent Blackfoot filmmaker and former sessional instructor, Blood was highly respected throughout the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. He was a true teacher, showing compassion, curiosity and creativity. He taught at Red Crow College and the U of L, and lectured at universities across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Blood worked closely with the U of L Faculty of Education to develop courses that led to a better understanding of Blackfoot culture. His contributions to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ have been described as significant and enduring.

“Narcisse left a very big imprint here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, both as a student and then he worked and jointly taught with faculty members here. He impressed people with his knowledge and humour; Narcisse was a little bit bigger than life,” says Dr. Leroy Little Bear, (BASc ’72, DASc ’04), First Nations, Métis and Inuit advisor to the U of L president. “This is a way to honour him and to remind people of the work he did and to see him as a role model so that people will continue the work he was doing.”

UNews - Narcisse Blood

Scholarship program to honour influential quartet, support educational opportunities for Blackfoot students

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge names Native American Studies Student Lounge in honour of late Narcisse Blood

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge names Native American Studies Student Lounge in honour of late Narcisse Blood