The Blackfoot confederacy in Calgary is gathering information and contacting Blackfeet artists in Montana to build a public art project intended to take place next year.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch:
The goal of the project will be to connect the Blackfeet Pikuni band in Montana with the three other bands in Canada and tell the Blackfoot stories through art.
“It’s really important to have everyone say and tell the stories that share our cultural practices,” explained Jared Tailfeathers, the Blackfoot Confederacy Public Art Project Lead from Calgary. “We’re relatives and we want to give every member of the Blackfoot to share their stories too.”
Recruiters from the confederacy will be in Browning during the Iinnee (in-ee) Buffalo days and during Indian Days to connect with tribal members and get an idea of the projects the members want to see.
Jared added, “This is a brand-new project, and we want it done right and the way people want to see.”
The project is set for summer of 2026 in Calgary. At the end of this year, the Calgary Arts Development and Blackfoot Confederacy will design an art show with the feedback from the community.
The call for artists will go out in early 2026 and every artist from the Blackfoot confederacy is invited to submit for the call.
“I'm really excited about this process, and I really hope that community members can be excited about the process and that they will come to the info sessions and apply. It doesn't matter if you're a brand-new artist, if you're a student artist, everyone should apply. Everyone should feel like they're a part of this process.”
You can find more information on the Calgary Arts Development website, or by emailing Jared at jared.tailfeathers@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
