Heather Bliss

Oki, nitáániko Otskaapinaaki. Hello, my name is Heather Bliss. My Blackfoot name was given to me by my late friend and teacher Tootsinam Beatrice Bullshields. I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria and an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia. Since 2003, I have been working with friends from the Siksiká and Kaináí nations on Blackfoot language documentation and analysis. I have studied various aspects of the language including the articulations of sounds (using ultrasound imaging technology), the combinations of morphemes and words, the structure and meaning of sentences, and aspects of storytelling. My research is framed in a universalist framework: how is Blackfoot similar to and different from other languages of the world, and how it can it inform our understanding of human language more broadly? Beyond these theoretical questions, I have always strived to produce materials that could be of potential use for Blackfoot language teaching and revitalization. I am honoured to be contributing to the Blackfoot Digital Dictionary, and excited to be developing a sister project: a Blackfoot Stories Archive. You can learn more about me and my research by clicking here.