The Significance of the Blackfoot Tipi

Blackfoot tipi’s are considered sacred bundles belonging to the Siksika Nation people. 

The design on the tipi is based on the origin story which is handed down from ancestors through ceremony. Each tipi has a song.

Our tipi’s represent Niitsitapiisini (Blackfoot way of life). The cosmos and mother earth, are represented through the paint on the upper and lower part.  

The middle part of the tipi tells the story or dream that was given to the tipi owner. This practice of painting tipis has been with the Blackfoot people since time immemorial.  Historically, these tipis were our lodge for our family to gather, and today the tipi’s are used for ceremonies, including our Sundance.

Partnership between Siksika and the Calgary Hitmen

The Calgary Hitmen and Siksika Health Services signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2021 and through the signing of the MOU, the partners commit to continued growth of the vision and engagement of the Every Child Matters game: to inspire all youth, with a focus on Indigenous youth, to participate in sports, and to understand that we can heal collectively through reconcili-action.

The aim of the partnership is to create the new normal for the promotion of cultural awareness in sporting events, with the hope of expanding the power and reach that events like this can have on communities.