Kaahsinnooniksi Ao’toksisawooyawa
When Kainai elders Andy Black Water and Frank Weasel Head visited the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford University in 2002, they were shown a collection of Blackfoot material that had been collected more than a century and a half before. Among the collection were five hide shirts decorated with porcupine quills, paint and human hair. It is believed that these Blackfoot shirts were acquired in the 1840s by employees of the Hudson's Bay Company during their travels and encounters with the First Nations people.
These shirts embody ancient stories and histories of the Blackfoot people, and are considered important curriculum as they teach the Blackfoot people about their place and roles within the world. They are critical tools in creating a bridge to link past events and stories with contemporary lives to create community memory for the Blackfoot people.
Glenbow Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum are pleased to present these five historically significant shirts to the Blackfoot people and to Albertans. Prior to the public exhibition, the shirts will be the focus of workshops in which the people from the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani communities will gather to examine the shirts, research how to preserve the shirts physically and spiritually, and discuss how the Blackfoot people can further access the shirts once they return to Oxford, England.
Join us to explore Blackfoot artistic traditions and learn about the importance of these shirts to the oral tradition of First Nations people. This exhibition is a collaboration between the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England; The University of Aberdeen, Scotland; the Galt Museum in Lethbridge and Glenbow Museum.
Hours:  Monday - Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday, 12 pm - 5 pm