The Confluence's first permanent exhibit in over 2 decades celebrates Blackfoot way of life

CBC

18-05-2025

Blackfoot culture is in the spotlight at The Confluence.
Kípaitápiiyssinnooni, which translates to Our Way of Life in the Blackfoot language, was unveiled to the Calgary community on Saturday as the first major permanent exhibit to open at the historic site since 2001.
The 900-square-foot exhibit is a physical expression of the collective knowledge and ongoing presence of the Blackfoot people, said curator Star Crop Eared Wolf.
"It's a place to learn, to reflect, and to experience the richness of Blackfoot history and culture," she said.
"For too long, Blackfoot people and other Indigenous people have been portrayed as a disappearing and a vanishing grace. But we are not gone, we are here."
Kípaitápiiyssinnooni draws inspiration from the traditional layout of a Blackfoot lodge as well as Crop Eared Wolf's childhood experiences. It's made up of materials made by Indigenous creators and shares knowledge gathered from interviews with Blackfoot elders and knowledge keepers.
Throughout the exhibit, the Blackfoot language makes up the first part of every write-up, with English translations coming second.
Crop Eared Wolf, a Niitsitapi artist and member of the Kainai Nation, is the first full-time curator hired at The Confluence in more than two decades, where she's worked on putting the new exhibit together for well over a year.
"It's an honour and a sense of pride just to be able to be a part of this and represent our people," she said.
WATCH | First permanent exhibit to open at The Confluence in 20 years focuses on Blackfoot culture:
First permanent exhibit to open at The Confluence in 20 years focuses on Blackfoot culture
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New direction for The Confluence
The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, formerly called Fort Calgary before being renamed in 2024, is ushering in a new era, starting with the opening of Kípaitápiiyssinnooni.
"We've heard that people are excited and looking for a connection to Calgary's identity and Calgary's story, and what I like to think is that this is the first step in that direction," said Jennifer Thompson, president of The Confluence.
The exhibit marks the completion of the first phase of The Confluence's ongoing exhibit overhaul, a process that has been underway since November 2024.
Phase one saw eight exhibits dating back to approximately three decades ago removed and put into storage to make way for Kípaitápiiyssinnooni.
"On Blackfoot territory, it only makes sense to begin the story with Blackfoot voices," said Thompson.
The second phase of the overhaul will bring in exhibits on the Stoney Nakoda, Tsuut'ina and Métis nations, followed by phase three, which is set to focus on colonization and the establishment of Fort Calgary 150 years ago by the North-West Mounted Police.
Expected to be complete within the next three years, the exhibit redevelopment marks the historic site's second major overhaul since the Fort Calgary Interpretive Centre first opened in 1978.
"From the moment you walk in the doors where you see how the rivers were created, to Kípaitápiiyssinnooni, where you hear the stories of the first peoples on this land, you get a sense of our identity here at Mohkinstsis," said Thompson.
Thompson hopes the unveiling of the Blackfoot exhibit, which took place the day before International Museum Day on May 18, will also spark change among other museums and historic sites.
"We see this as a call to other institutions in Canada to move beyond recognition and into relationship, and to honour the sacred obligation we share to this land, and together as treaty people," she said.