Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council is pleased to announce the 2025 Indigenous Early Learning & Child Care (IELCC) Symposium, taking place on May 22-23, 2025, at Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Mohkinstsis (Calgary, AB).

The Symposium is open to the Early Learning Community, including frontline workers, parents, managers/directors, and leadership. This event will provide valuable insights, workshops, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Theme: IIYOTKANONTTATTAAM AWAAAPISWA KOKOSINNONIKS – Our Children Are Precious

Registration is now open!

  • For all symposium attendees please complete the registration via the link below
  • Vendors and Information Booth Inquiries: Please do not fill out registration form as your entry will be removed. For all inquiries related to vendors or information booths please contact Sheila Fox via email at: Sheila.sinopaacss@gmail.com
Registration Link

Dates: Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23, 2025
Location: Deerfoot Inn & Casino, Calgary, Alberta

This symposium will convene Elders, educators, knowledge keepers, policymakers, and community advocates to engage in critical discussions, foster collaborative partnerships, and explore innovative solutions informed by traditional Blackfoot knowledge and contemporary Indigenous frameworks. The event will be hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Natoyi’sokasiim, Lowa Beebe.

Symposium Highlights

  • Opening Ceremony: Welcoming remarks from the Chiefs of the Blackfoot Confederacy and Interim CEO Carol Mason
  • Keynote Presentations: Focused discussions on kinship networks, cognitive and socio-emotional development in early learning, community resilience, food sovereignty, and Indigenous governance, featuring:
    • Otahksikinakim, Wilton Good Striker – Blackfoot Knowledge Keeper, Kainai-Blood Tribe
    • Mariah Gladstone – Founder of Indigikitchen and advocate for Indigenous food systems and health sovereignty, Amskapi Piikani
    • Dr. Deborah Pace, PhD, RPsych – Educator and Psychologist, Kainai-Blood Tribe
    • Miranda Bernard – Specialist in Mi’kmaw early learning and childcare governance, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Eskasoni First Nation
    • Tsapinaaki, Dr. Gabrielle Weasel Head, PhD – Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies, Mount Royal University, Kainai-Blood Tribe
  • Kaahsinnooniks (Historians) Think Tank: A panel discussion featuring Siksika, Kainai, Piikani and Amskapi Pikuni Knowledge Holders on applying historical knowledge to address contemporary and future challenges
  • National Policy Panels: Expert discussions featuring representatives from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), and other organizations advancing Indigenous childcare policy
  • Community Engagement Opportunities: Youth Talent Showcase, evening reception, meal services, and numerous networking sessions

Grounded in Siksikaitsitapi values and cultural protocols, the IELCC Symposium 2025 seeks to strengthen Indigenous early learning systems through informed dialogue, collective action, and a lasting commitment to intergenerational resilience and well-being.

Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council is pleased to announce the 2025 Indigenous Early Learning & Child Care (IELCC) Symposium, taking place on May 22-23, 2025, at Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Mohkinstsis (Calgary, AB).

The Symposium is open to the Early Learning Community, including frontline workers, parents, managers/directors, and leadership. This event will provide valuable insights, workshops, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Theme: IIYOTKANONTTATTAAM AWAAAPISWA KOKOSINNONIKS – Our Children Are Precious

Full Symposium details and registration information will be released soon. For more information, please contact:

Phone: 587.287.1100

Email: Info@Blackfootconfederacy.ca

The Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council will host the 2025 Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Gathering on Monday, February 17, 2025, at Red Crow Community College in Standoff, Alberta on the Kainai-Blood Tribe.

The theme for this year’s gathering is Aasitapiiksi Aipoyiyaa (Young People Talking), emphasizing the importance of providing Blackfoot youth with an opportunity to engage in critical dialogue on issues affecting their communities.

The Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Conference Working Group was established in October 2023 to align on objectives, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration in the development of an ongoing Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Conference. This group ensures Blackfoot youth have a formal platform to engage with the Tribal Council.

Since its creation, the group has facilitated discussions involving youth and community leaders from the four Blackfoot Nations, focusing on key issues such as health—past, present, and future.

The 2025 gathering will serve as the inaugural event in a series of annual Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Conferences, rotating among the Blackfoot Nations in subsequent years.

This year’s agenda will include keynote addresses, presentations from Blackfoot Confederacy leaders, youth panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

Registration is open to all who wish to attend, with priority given to Blackfoot youth. Further details, including keynote speaker information, will be provided in the coming days.

For additional information, to register, or to inquire about booth opportunities, please contact:

Travis Yellow Wings, Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council

E-mail: TravisY@blackfootconfederacy.ca

Oki Siksikaitsitapi!

We wish to introduce members of the Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Conference Committee.

The Youth met on July 02,2024 in Paahtómahksikimi (Waterton,AB) alongside Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council Staff and Nation Representatives to finalize details for the 2024 Blackfoot Confederacy Youth Conference this Fall. Full Conference details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Blackfoot Youth Committee Members: Trinity Pretty Young Man, Joshua Winnipeg, Taos Wellman, Peyton Racine, Kristine Day Chief, Rockston Blackwater, Jerrhan First Charger, Jaxx Running Rabbit, Raynebow Delaney, Chalaine Eagle Child, Deshy Taypotat and Travis Bastien Jr.