The Cochrane Public Library is featuring a new art exhibit for the entire month of February.
Niitsitapi Pi’kssíí (Blackfoot Fancy Beings) is an exhibition featuring artworks that depict animals, or fancy beings, significant to Blackfoot culture by two contemporary Blackfoot artists, Ryan Jason Allen Willert and Kalum Teke Dan.
Blackfoot teachings about these animals are a large part of the exhibition, which would not have been possible if not for the generous support of Elder Camille (Pablo) Russell.
To develop an understanding of balance and harmony in nature and the cycles of renewal that affect seasons of life, it is essential to observe the natural world and its animal cohabitants. This fact is well known in Blackfoot culture.
As explained by Blackfoot author Betty Bastien, the knowledge of the Siksikaitsitapi (or, the Blackfoot Nation) is organized according to thousands of years of observation and participatory relationship with the natural world.
This knowledge highlights a reciprocal relationship with the land and the creatures that occupy it; four-legged fur-bearing beings, birds, fish, and humans alike share a kinship with the land, the sky, and all the environments we inhabit.
Niitsitapi Pi’kssíí (Blackfoot Fancy Beings) emphasizes how Blackfoot language, storytelling, and knowledge-sharing has intrinsic value when it comes to understanding the natural world.
This exhibition was curated by Ashley Slemming and Diana Frost, and it has been organized by the Alberta Society of Artists in partnership with the Indigenous social enterprise Colouring it Forward for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition program.
The library is inviting everyone to drop by to experience this unique and important work.
