# Inniskim Umaapi

## Understanding what being literate means on the land


3 of the 4 images are my own and were taken in September 2024. The one image called "moonlit night" is by Artist Ray Troll who shows what an area much like Inniskim Umaapi looked like during the Cretaceous Period more than 70 million years ago.

### Kiistónnoon aiitsí’poyio’pa - we are speaking Blackfoot

Iikskonatapiiwa, nihk ni'powahsini - The Blackfoot language is really powerful, which is why I will try to recount my special day in it as a way to express my great appreciation and gratitude to all who shared the same special space at the same time.

While I have learned to understand Blackfoot a little bit better, I am by no means a fluent user of the language. The fragmentary nature of the piece will quickly tell you how low my skills in it still are. Inevitably, I have made mistakes, which I kindly ask you to help me remedy. I look forward to meeting with fluent Blackfoot friends, who can me correct my (surely very German-accented) pronunciation. However, Siksikaipowashin gives me the words to express my honour in the ways these lands and its people will know. For that I am grateful.

Note, the text reads from the top down, either in Blackfoot or English alone or in combination of both. For the language to truly come alive, words have to be spoken, which is why I recommend you [listen to the recording here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U31e1fLWqLddchOtwCIaGlWqvInwuaA0/view?usp=sharing) (maybe without reading the poem below first).


| Niitsipowahsin | English |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Aahsikskanaotonni | It is a pleasant morning. |
| Nitaakitapohpinnaan Inniskim Umaapi. | We are going to the Majorville Blackfoot Rock Circle, |
| o'ko | on a fall day |
| Mo'kaatosi | in September, when the Fall Sun shines. |
| Niinohkanistssksinipi | This will be me, speaking personally, of what I experienced that special day on |
| Siksikáiksáahko | the Blackfoot traditional territory. |
| Áakssissawáato’op | When I visited a special place on it. |
| Aah, nitsiitohkanisto'to. | Yes, I came to visit. |
| Inniskim Umaapi | The Majorville Blackfoot Cultural Site is |
| Aitapissko | a very sacred place with a living spirit, |
| Sisikoohkotokssko | on stoney terrain. |
| Míístapatónni, iisóótaawa. | The day before yesterday, it was raining. |
| Iisóótaawa/sayóótaawa | It rained heavily, so |
| sspahkoistsi ki ksaahkom | the hills hills and the grounds |
| pa'ksikahko | are muddy. |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki inniwa | Our teacher, Ahstanskiaki says |
| Aano stopiit. | Sit here. |
| Apiik. | All of you, sit down. |
| áíssksinimá’tsaiksi ki nisto, oomam omahkoomapi nitsitótopihpinnan. | The students and I, we came and by the big rock circle, we sat down. |
| Nitsitopi. | There I go sit down. |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki inniwa | Our dear teacher, Ahstanskiaki points out that |
| liko’to’tamapiwa Aatsimoyihkaan. | Prayer is of utmost importance! |
| Ihtsipaitapiyop | We greet the one through whom we live, for they are the essence of life . |
| Amoohka a’pistotokiwahka ihtsipaitapiiyio’pahka | Creator made all things. We respect them all. |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki inniwa | She also says, |
| Noohkohkánayisstsookitoaa! | All of you listen! |
| Kitaakanisto. | I will tell you |
| atsiníkssin | a story. |
| Nitátoiinai ki | I sing and pray, |
| Nitáyaakitsiniki inniskim | I am going to tell you the Inniskim story. |
| Nitsínihki inniskim ninihkssínni | I sing the inniskim song. |
| áaksinihkihtsii’pa | We will sing it (those with the rights transferred), but before |
| Nitsiikoohtaahsi’taki. Nipaitapiiwa. Nitohpokápaitapiyop.Tsik tsiitssiiskas taiskakaataiksi ki áissksinimátsaiksi ki mia’nistsi ki akipoatiksi nitskinnimaatso‘kyaa naahk aatsiimoihk iiyikaakiimaan, issskonaataapsin, so’poiyoohkaan, nato’aapi ki iipohsin | I want to acknowledge my mentors (and human and plant teachers) for they have taught me to see and experience a deeper connection with humility and communion, which is linking renewal, strength, knowledge and language. |
| Kipotsitsinni'kokit isskohtsika kitsitapiimiksi. | I listen and think how grateful I am that she will tell us about the olden days, and how her ancestors lived. |
| | Then a singer student sings for us, so well, a song that holds deep emotions, sad sound so true. |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki inniwa | Our teacher, Ahstanskiaki tells us to |
| Omííksi sstsikommistsi ohtóíssammisaawa! | Look at these coulees carefully! |
| Inít! | See it! |
| Kitáíni’pa? | Do you see it? |
| iiyíksskoyiipinnan | She urged us to conduct ourselves properly. |
| Nitáiàpi or nítsàpi | (I think) I see. |
| Nitsííni’pi omistsi sstsikommistsi ohtóíssammisaawa | I looked at the couless carefully, |
| omi omahkoomaapi | at the Big Rock Circle who hums in my ears, |
| oomiksi ikskonnatpiiksi ohkotokiksi | those powerful Big rocks, |
| oomistsi a’kihtákssiistsi | the cairn, |
| oomi Spatsiko | the sand, |
| oomi Maatoyi | the grass, |
| oomi matóyihko | the area of grass, |
| Oomiksi náamoi(ksi) | and the bees (who came to join us during the prayer) |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki inniwa | Ahstanskiaki tells us, |
| Inahkotait sinik a’ topi | we pass on knowledge through the generations, through storytelling. |
| Niitaoni’pi Kitao’ahsinnooni | We recognize our land through its geographic features. |
| | Go see those features, explore them. Find what you need. |
| kakó | Go, do it! |
| Ikitsstakit! | (But before) Make an offering! |
| iisáípstaahkohkiwa | She gave out Tobacco. |
| nítssaipstaahkohki ki Sipatsimo | I gave out tobacco and Sweetgrass. |
| | This is |
| Aatsimihka'ssin | a sacred action (leaving an offering, making amends) |
| áíssksinima’tstohki Ahstanskiaki isopówahtsi’siwa | our teacher, Ahstanskiaki inquired |
| Ahsa? | What is it (you want)? |
| | Be clear on what you want. You can ask this place, |
| Kitssksah Koominninooni | your land. But be clear in what you ask from it! |
| nitsíkkitstaki | I made an offering to the sun and the place to show my |
| Ksaahkoyi stamohkanainna’kipa. | respect and care for the environment. |
| Nitaaka'piksikka'yi | I'm going to take a walk. |
| Nitohsókatatao | I then walked around. |
| Nitáistamohtsìnapaoyoyohk. | I then walk along down the river |
| Nitohpókaoyoahkàmao | The new student. I walk with him. |
| Nitsisitsipssatspinnan | We talk. |
| Tsimáá kitoohtó’toohpa? | Where did you come from? |
| Motoyaohki, Nitákomètsihp, ákometsim | The ocean, he says. I love it, he loves it. Sea lovers now united on ancient ocean grounds. |
| Misaamistsi nímohtaii’poyi. | I talk about the healing plants around us. |
| | He asks, how I know all these things, and I tell him that I have build relationships with people who initiated me to plants and with the plants themselves. |
| Nitáksksinimatsao | I teach him a few of the teachings I graciously received from the original custodians in the last decade. |
| Iitsiníka’siwa | He told me about parts of his life, |
| nitsíítsinika’si | and I told him about part of my life. |
| Ihstanio okaksin | I tell him that he can be honoured to receive such deep knowledge, if and when he is ready. |
| Kitsiksíksimatsimmo, sstsikmmistsi! | Greetings, coulees! |
| Kitsiksíksimatsimmo, Pisatssaisski! | Flowers, |
| Mai’stóónataiksi ! | Dotted Blazing Star, |
| Ksikkapistsisskitsi ! | Ball Cactus Berries, |
| Amáóhkaapistsisskitsiistsi ! | Scarlet Mallow , |
| Otahkoottsi! | Cactus Prickly Pear, |
| Aahsowaiksi! | Wild Licorice, |
| Siiksinoko! | Juniper, |
| Kaksimo ! | Prairie Sage, |
| Ninaika’ksimo ! | Male Sage, |
| Aakiika’ksimii ! | Fringed Sage, |
| Akspíístsi! | Gum plant, |
| Aohtoksookistsi ! | Yarrow , |
| Kitsikáíksimatsimmo. | I appreciate you! |
| Kitsiksimmatsimmohpowa | I happily greet everybody here |
| otsiimoko | on this meadow, |
| Issoóóhtsi niítahtaayi | along the river shore, |
| Nii’itahtaa | in the river, |
| Póóhsapoohtsi | on this side of it, (where the hills roll down softly) |
| Míístapoohtsi | and across from it/ on the other side, |
| aaksi'ksaahko | where I see the steep cliff. (embankment) |
| Kanao'taki | I greet everybody all around, |
| Ksaahkoomitapiksi | you beings who inhabit the grounds, |
| Spoomitapiksi | you living in the sky. |
| Soyitapiksi, aohkííyi (i)stááhtoohtsi | You, water beings too, who live underwater! This was once all underwater, as a clam shell I find testifies. |
| atsowa'ssko | (We come to a) bushy area with |
| Kinniksi | Wild Roses, |
| Otsipistsi | Willows, |
| Otsipiisko | an entire area of Willow trees, |
| Otsipi iikohtakayissitapio'p. | Willow has many uses and I recount some I heard to myself as I touch their golden stems. |
| soksistsikoistsi | I notice the thick clouds on top, |
| kawa'pomahkaiksi | the traces of the animals who roam the prairies on the ground, like the |
| awatsimaaistsi | holes (gopher/ badger) |
| omahsikimistsi | (When I touch the river water with my hand, I see all bodies of water I came by this morning before me again) like lakes within the park boundaries. |
| Issamisi oomiksi piksiiki ikstonatakayimmiyaawa. | Look at those birds, they are so many. (I had thought to myself because on my ride up here, there were so very few) |
| Aapáíaistsi | (There was an abundance of) cattail. We walk and we talk some more. We appreciate the multifacetted rocks with their different sizes, colours, shapes and textures. When we least expect it, we find treasures. |
| Omí inniskim ohtóíssammisaawa! | Wow, look this buffalo calling stone! Isnt it beautiful? |
| (Ni)táákitssa’tsisspa! | Let me look at it! |
| Aah, iihtawá’pssiwa | Yes, he was lucky. |
| Nisto nítsstawa’pssi nitoy. | I was lucky too. Again, and again. These lands hold beauty in abundance. |
| Nitáákitssa’tssiispa. | I want to look at them all. |
| Aah, Ssa’tsit! | But look at this one! |
| Inna’kotsiiysin | (We feel great) respect |
| iniiyi’tsi | and we appreciate our findings. |
| Niitsiniiyi’taki | I am so grateful. |
| Nitaisstammatsokoyi | (For the gifts and the ) teachings (this land offers), |
| Nato’aapi | the ceremony (earlier), |
| Pomma’ksinni | the transfer of knowledge and rights |
| | I am glad to see everybody follow their paths in unique ways, up the hills and down here where I stand next to the river. |
| Kiannaaka matapiiwaka aohkanaisitsipssatooma | The people of the past spoke to everything. |
| Kakyosin isstaokaki’tsotsp | Observation gives us intelligence knowledge and wisdom. |
| Aakattohtatsimmihka’so’pa aanooksistotsi’si ksaahkooyi. | I show my walking buddy that we will ask forgiveness that we disturbed the ground. |
| Aotsistapitakyop | I am so grateful that I have come to understand some of |
| Kipaitapiwahsinnooni | the traditional Blackfoot ways of knowing and being |
| ipakkkitsa'pssi | the local energy, |
| yáapittahsohkohto | which I honour repeatedly with a song. |
| ksiistsikímisstaan | We share an herbal drink I made last night. |
| Tsa kanistsimoohspa? | How do you feel? |
| Nitsiiksokimmohsi. Nitsikí'taamssi | I feel good. I am happy in my body and |
| nottáka | my spirit. |
| | I have no words, but I feel the special energies very viscerally. |
| Akitatamatsimohpowa | We will see each other again |
| Niitakitahkayihpinaan sawoomaiskkiina'tsis | We will go home before it gets dark. |
| Ko’komiki’somm | As I stop a few times on my ride, I get to look at the Moon. |
| Iksistto'sim | She's in her second quarter, getting close to being |
| Iksistto'simm | full soon, when she becomes |
| Awaasiiki’soom | the Deer Moon, big and special, pairing up with a partial |
| o'ksiko'ko | eclipse. |
| Itaamitsissiko | Today is a good day. |
| | My life is a full life. |
| Nitsiniiyitaki | I am so grateful to all of you who made this such a special day! |