Oki, nitáániko Aikaapipotaaki (frequent/always flying woman). My English name is Talia George. My Blackfoot name was given to me by my late great grandfather Bernard Tallman when I was a baby. I am from the Blood Tribe (Kainai) and Lək̓ʷəŋən Nation (Lekwungen). Belonging to the Ni’taiitsskaiksi ‘Lone Fighters’ clan and Black Wolf clan. I am grateful to have been raised in families who are very invested and involved in their culture, for both Blackfoot and Coast Salish, and value the opportunity of being able to learn about the different cultures and traditions. In turn, being involved myself and enjoying the stories that are told by spending time with family and friends during any cultural activities. I grew up hearing the Blackfoot language from my grandma and late great grandparents, however that was only when I lived in Alberta from time to time. The other times I would be living in British Columbia.

Currently as of 2022 I am learning how to speak and write the Blackfoot language and attending the University of Lethbridge. Where I learned about the opportunity to work with the Blackfoot Digital Dictionary while attending the spring 2022 BKFT 2210 course with Inge. I enjoy working with the Blackfoot Digital Dictionary as an assistant researcher because it helps me learn the descriptiveness of Blackfoot and then being able to listen to the elders and their experiences with the language.

I believe the work people have put into the Blackfoot Digital Dictionary will serve as a preservation of the language, and therefore, becoming a helpful resource for future learners, especially with the audio recordings of some Blackfoot, so that someone is able to hear how a word or sentence is being spoken.