Apps
Title: Blackfeet language (by Ogoki Learning Systems Inc.)
Price: Free
Offered by: Darrick Baxter (Blackfeet community college)
Released: December 21, 2012
Features:
– Only offered on Apple devices
– Learn Blackfoot terms such as animals, numbers, colours, objects, and anatomy
Find Apple app here
Title: Blackfoot (by Old Sun Community College)
Price: $9.99
Offered by: The Old Sun Community College
Released: August 12, 2015
Features:
– Offered on Apple and Android devices
– Blackfoot phrases grouped into 29 categories such as greetings, people, food, land animals, nature terms, etc.
– Audio, image, quizzes, and games
– Songs
Find Apple app here
Find Android app here
Title: Blackfoot QR Reader
Price: Free
Offered by: Native Teaching Aids LLC
Updated: September 11, 2019
Features:
– Offered on Apple and Android devices
– QR reader adds audio to existing Native Teaching Aids Blackfoot card and board games
– Open the app, point your phone at the QR code in the corners of the cards and listen to the Blackfoot phrase!
Find Apple app here
Find Android app here
Title: DeciphAR RLLC Blackfoot Translation app
Price: Free
Offered by: Mount Royal University Library and Red Crow Community College
Updated: January 10, 2020
Features:
– Offered on Apple and Android devices
– Translates Blackfoot signage in the Riddell Library Learning Centre (RLLC) of Mount Royal University into English
– Augmented reality provides audio pronunciations of Blackfoot phrases and explanations of the translations
– Translations are provided by Elder Leo Fox and the app was developed by MRU student Chase Schraeder
– Open the app, point your phone at any Blackfoot sign in the library and see the translation, the explanation and hear the pronunciation
Find Apple app on the App Store on your Apple device
Find Android app here
Title: FirstVoices keyboards
Price: Free
Offered by: First People’s Cultural Council
Updated: March 1st, 2016
Features:
– Offered on Apple and Android devices
– Keyboard software for over 100 Indigenous languages, including Blackfoot
– Once downloaded, keyboards can be used for text, social media, e-mail, and in other apps
Find Apple app here
Find Android app here
Title: Ninastako cultural center app
Price: $9.99
Offered by: Ninastako Center
Updated: March 3, 2016
Features:
– Only offered on Apple devices
– Learn conversational Blackfoot through words, phrases and audio
– Learn the history and meanings of Blackfoot surnames
– Find out when and where pow wows are being held
– Blackfoot Challenges and quizzes
Find Apple app here
Title: Piikani Paitapiiyssin
Price: Free
Offered by: Piikani Child and Family Services
Updated: June 25, 2019
Features:
– Offered on Apple and Android devices
– Contains over 300 Blackfoot words, translations, phonics, and audio files
– Learn about Piikani Clans, Piikani Symbols, the Winter Count, and Piikani Sign Language
Find Apple app on the App Store on your Apple device
Find Android app here
More information about app and an introduction to the app by Shirley Crow Shoe here
Language Learning Websites
Title: Blackfoot Chatbot
Description: This site was created by students at Simon Fraser University in collaboration with the Peigan Board of Education. The site is still under development, but has a chatbot and a sentence builder to help people learn Blackfoot. Many more advanced features are currently being planned for the site, and hopefully will be coming soon.
Website: https://blackfoot-revitalization.cs.sfu.ca/
Title: Blackfoot language lessons YouTube channel
Description: This YouTube channel provides short Blackfoot lessons. The most recent videos are from 2015.
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRys–UtfjW9ei1Vx_MaiCw
Title: Blackfoot Language Resources Facebook page
Description: This is the Facebook page created in 2017 by students working for the Blackfoot Language Resources project. It is not currently active, but contains many “word of the day” posts and links to news stories about Blackfoot and other Indigenous language revitalization efforts
Website: https://www.facebook.com/blackfootlanguageresources
Title: Blackfoot language Wikipedia
Description: This is a Wikipedia webpage about the Blackfoot language. Topics include: history, phonology, grammar, writing systems, and revitalization efforts.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackfoot_language
Title: Blackfoot language group: The University of Montana
Description: The Blackfoot language group is the research lab of Mizuki Miyashita who is a professor of Linguistics at the University of Montana. Her research focus is Blackfoot culture and language, specifically stories and lullabies. On her webpage you will find transcripts that you can listen to and read (found under Blackfoot Research and then Transcripts). There is also a tab labelled BLG where you will find Blackfoot language picture books which can be downloaded as a PDF file and printed for individual use. There are also animated books which are the picture books in animated form (YouTube videos).
Website homepage: http://www.umt.edu/blg/default.php
Title: Blackfoot syllabary
Description: This is a website that describes the origins of Blackfoot syllabics. It contains the original syllabics from 1880s and information on how to use the syllabic system.
Website: http://www.languagegeek.com/algon/siksika/blk_syllabarium.html
Title: Lethbridge Public Library YouTube channel
Description: The Lethbridge Public Library has some videos that feature the Blackfoot language on their YouTube channel, and it seems to be updated regularly.
Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/lethlib
Title: Martindale’s language and translation center: Indigenous languages of U.S. and Canada
Description: This website has been put together as a reference for Indigenous languages in the U.S. and Canada. It has external links to language dictionaries, courses, lessons, images, videos, audio, etc. This is a great source for finding other resources on languages (not only the Blackfoot language).
Website: http://www.martindalecenter.com/Language_1_Indigenous.html#ENGTO-BLACKFOOT
Title: Memrise Blackfoot Flashcards
Description: This site has some interactive sets of basic vocabulary flashcards (animals, body parts, numbers etc.).
Website: https://www.memrise.com/course/1285419/blackfoot/
Title: Native Americans online
Description: This website was created by an organization called Spiritalk Gathering. There is a Blackfoot Voice tab where you will find basic language lessons that have audio. There are several other sections about culture, philosophy, and links to other sites.
Website homepage: http://native-americans-online.com/index.html
Link to language page: http://native-americans-online.com/native-american-language.html
Title: Native Languages of the Americas: Blackfoot (Siksika, Peigan, Piegan, Kainai, Blackfeet)
Description: This is a search engine where you can search any Indigenous language. It gives background information on the people, the culture, names, and history. You can also find language information such as vocabulary, pronunciation guides, alphabet and syllabary, words ordered by thematic themes, and links to other resources about Blackfoot language such as audio, dictionaries, texts, linguistic descriptions, etc.
Website: http://www.native-languages.org/blackfoot.htm#language
Title: Native teaching aids
Description: Native Teaching Aids is a company owned and operated by Rebecca Goff and partners. The company’s mission is to support indigenous language revitalization through the creation of educational resources. The website has an online store where you can purchase Blackfoot language board games and card games. They have a page that lists the language learning apps they have created, which includes a Blackfoot QR reader that adds audio from a fluent Blackfoot speaker to the Blackfoot games when you scan the cards or parts of the board game.
Website: http://www.nativeteachingaids.com/
Title: New Journeys- Resources for learning Blackfoot
Description: New Journeys is an online Friendship Centre resource. It includes resource pages for learning several different Indigenous languages, including Blackfoot.
Website: https://newjourneys.ca/articles/resources-for-learning-blackfoot
Title: Nitsitapiisinni stories and spaces: Exploring Kainai plants and culture
Description: This website was created to teach the public about the natural environment of the Blackfoot, mainly the plants that they used traditionally and into the present. The homepage begins with regions you can click on to see the plants (ex: floodplain, dry prairie, forest, parkland, wet prairie). Once you click on a region to explore (ex: floodplain), a list of plants that grow in that region will appear. You can then click on a plant and all the information regarding that plant will appear. Information includes the English name of the plant, the Blackfoot name for the plant, pictures, a thorough description, and traditional uses (often written in English, Blackfoot and French). On many of the plants (but not all) there are videos and/or audio. This website is set up like a thematic dictionary and is easy to use with great visual and audio components. On the homepage, there are other options to choose from such as: classroom, history, plant index, map of the Blackfoot confederacy, artwork gallery, photo gallery, and a link to a large list of digitized books regarding aboriginal culture.
Website: http://galileo.org/kainai/
Title: Siksikáí’powahsin: Blackfoot Language
Description: This is a Canadian Encyclopedia article that has sections about the Blackfoot people, the Algonquian linguistic family, the writing system, speaking the language, notable features, and current state of the language.
Website: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/siksikai-powahsin-blackfoot-language
Title: Thunder Virtual Reality game
Description: Thunder tells the story of a man who must challenge the powerful spirit, Thunder (Ksiistsikom). Elder Saakokoto tells you the story and teaches you the Blackfoot language in this immersive virtual reality experience. It can be downloaded for free in the Oculus store (requires Oculus VR headset). There is also a play through video on YouTube you can watch!
Thunder website and Oculus download link: http://thundervr.ca/#next
YouTube play through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO8ktDoQJ8Q
Title: UNESCO atlas of the world’s languages in danger
Description: The UNESCO website contains an interactive map in which you can search a language and read about its statistics and information such as its location, vitality, number of speakers, etc. There is not much information for the Blackfoot language. UNESCO separates the Blackfoot language of Canada and the United States therefore both links are provided.
Link to the Canadian Blackfoot: http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1244.html
Link to the United States Blackfoot: http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1453.html
Cultural Resources
Title: Blackfoot confederacy oral history
Description: This is a public Facebook page that was created to promote the education of Blackfoot oral stories. The most recent post is from 2016.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/627017263981927/
Title: Blackfoot crossing historical park
Description: Blackfoot Crossing is the site of the Treaty 7 signing. It is considered a historic and sacred location for the Blackfoot. They have an interpretive center and it is well known as an archeological site. Under the “Our Culture” tab, there is a link to a “Language” page, where you can find a Blackfoot dictionary with audio. The list of words is quite significant and categorized (greetings, colors, seasons, numbers, days/months, animals, plants, phrases, etc.).
Website homepage: http://www.blackfootcrossing.ca/index.html
Title: Blackfoot digital library
Description: This is a project started by Adrienne Heavy Head in partnership with the University of Lethbridge library. On this website, Blackfoot history is archived and the public is welcome to submit information as well. The website has images, videos, and documents. It also has audio files of Blackfoot Elders narrating traditional oral stories. There is a “phraseology” section containing many words and phrases with audio recordings.
Website homepage: https://www.blackfootdigitallibrary.com/
Phraseology section: https://www.blackfootdigitallibrary.com/digital/collection/bdl/custom/phrase
Title: Ninastako cultural centre
Description: The Ninastako cultural centre is located on the Blood reserve (Standoff, AB). It was originally a school that was created to advocate the teaching of the Blackfoot language. Their mission statement is a commitment towards “protection, preservation, promotion and strengthening of our First Nations’ cultures, heritages, wellness and language by ensuring necessary resources, support and strategies” (Ninastako Cultural Centre, 2016). They achieve their goals with programs such as storytelling by elders, cultural sessions in the community, and cultural activities and camps. On their website, they have a Learning Resources tab on the dropdown menu. If you click on it you will see another link titled Ninastako Blackfoot Learning Resource Library. This is a page that is dedicated to teaching and learning the Blackfoot language. It is not a free program (costs $10.00), but with the program you receive conversational Blackfoot learning tools, quizzes, and Blackfoot legend downloads for one year.
Website homepage: http://ninastako.ca/
Link to language page: http://ninastako.ca/ninastako-blackfoot-learning-resource-library/resources-for-learners-instructors/
Title: Piikani traditional knowledge services: Piikani nation
Description: Piikani traditional knowledge services is a department of the Piikani nation. Their mandate, according to their website, is to preserve the Piikani-Blackfoot heritage and culture. They offer many programs aimed at protecting traditional knowledge. Some of these programs are designed to preserve the Blackfoot language.
Website: https://piikanination.wixsite.com/piikanination/piikani-traditional-knowledge
Title: Saokio heritage YouTube channel
Description: “Founded in 2008 in collaboration with Peigan Institute, Saokio Heritage is a community-based organization developed by Indigenous women that aims to educate and advocate for the revitalization of Blackfeet (Amskapi Piikani) traditional knowledge in a modern context”. They created this YouTube channel for individuals who wish to learn about Blackfoot culture. They have short “Word of the day” videos.
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0mn-VSaD6Eg0woroleUA8w
Title: Urban society for Aboriginal youth
Description: USAY co-creates programs with Indigenous youth, partners and elders. These programs are designed to meet the direct needs of Indigenous youth living in Calgary and area. They have many programs that include online content. They currently have a 9-volume Blackfoot Graphic Novel that you can watch on their YouTube channel, among other videos. They also have interactive content such as short video games, Augmented Reality murals, and a Virtual Reality tour of Áísínai’pi (Writing on Stone).
Link to current programs: https://usay.ca/programs/
Link to Blackfoot Graphic Novel: USAY YouTube Channel
Link to Augmented Reality content: https://usay.ca/augmented-reality/
Link to Virtual Reality content: https://usay.ca/virtual-reality/
Universities and Colleges that offer Blackfoot courses
(check course listings as they may change every semester or every year)
Blackfeet Community College (in Montana): Website
Lethbridge College: Website
Mount Royal University: Website
Old Sun Community College: Website
Red Crow Community College: Website
University of Lethbridge: Website
(This page prepared by Janine Jackson, June 21, 2016)
(Updated by Mahaliah Peddle, June 15, 2017)
(Updated by Mahaliah Peddle, August 18, 2020)
(Updated by Mahaliah Peddle, July 6, 2021)
(Reorganized by Dominik Kadlec and Mahaliah Peddle, August 26, 2021)