The Blackfoot Confederacy Guardianship Rocky Mountain East Slopes Knowledge Hub (BFC Hub) centers Blackfoot principles and knowledge systems to guide conservation and stewardship of a diverse and ecologically significant landscape spanning from alpine mountains to prairie grasslands in Alberta’s East Slopes. This landscape includes five ecoregions and holds profound cultural and biocultural importance, including sacred sites such as the origins of the Sacred Beaver and Sinopaksipistaan Bundles.
The Hub is led by Blackfoot Elders, knowledge holders, and experts in partnership with government and non-government entities. It prioritizes elevating Blackfoot ethical frameworks (Pomaaksin), monitoring ecological and cultural health through biocultural indicators (Aatstimaapi), and advancing self-determination and resistance to colonial impacts (Aksinnstowaapsim).
Conservation efforts include training Blackfoot Guardians in both Blackfoot and Western scientific methods, patrolling and monitoring for illegal activities, conducting species inventories, and exploring restoration of extirpated and at-risk species. The Hub fosters cultural continuity by promoting traditional practices, ceremonies, and intergenerational knowledge transfer, especially involving youth.
Governance respects the sovereignty of the four Blackfoot Nations while enabling collaboration on shared priorities. The Hub also delivers real-time knowledge tools rooted in Niitsitapi traditions to support decision-making amidst climate change, species loss, and ecological shifts. Protecting and transmitting Blackfoot knowledge according to community ethics remains central to all efforts.
Location: Blackfoot Territory, Alberta East Slopes, Canada — includes mountain, foothills, and prairie landscapes
Partners and Funders:
