Blackfeet hunting is more than a practice—it is a relationship with our ancestors, our families, our lands, and the animals that sustain us. This project gathers the stories, experiences, and teachings of Blackfeet elders, hunters, and community members to better understand the role hunting has played in our identity, health, food systems, and connection to the land.

Through conversations rooted in traditional Blackfeet ways of sharing knowledge, we will learn from the people who carry these experiences and preserve the teachings connected to hunting, conservation, and responsibility. These stories will help document the past and present realities of Blackfeet hunting while supporting the future of hunting access, cultural continuity, and Tribal-led conservation.

The knowledge gathered will become a resource for our community and future generations—honoring the voices of those who came before us while helping guide the path forward.

Our Tribal Youth and New Hunter Education Program supports the next generation of Blackfeet hunters by creating opportunities to learn, build confidence, and reconnect with traditional hunting practices. Through mentorship, hands-on experiences, outdoor skills, hunter education, and culturally grounded teachings, youth and families gain the knowledge and tools needed to safely and respectfully engage with the land.

The program focuses on strengthening connections between generations by bringing together youth, mentors, families, and experienced hunters in a supportive environment. Participants learn about hunting safety, ethics, field skills, wildlife, and the responsibilities that come with caring for the land and animals.

By supporting new hunters and families, this program helps continue Blackfeet traditions, strengthen food sovereignty, and promote the cultural, physical, and emotional wellbeing that comes from maintaining a relationship with the land.

This project places traditional painted lodges—our original homes—into the hands of Blackfeet elders. Painted lodges are an endangered art that restores connection to land, ceremony, and identity. These lodges also carry the teachings and responsibilities connected to our traditional lifeways, including hunting and fishing practices that have sustained our people for generations. When a single lodge is raised, it becomes a space that heals many people, renewing our relationships to each other and the landscape while supporting Blackfeet cultural continuity, conservation, and community wellbeing.