Darnell and Smokey Rides At The Door Darnell Rides At The DoorDarnell, or NiiTooKimNee (Lone Camper), is a respected Pikunii (Blackfeet) woman and comes from the Buffalo Chip band. Apprenticed to her elders who have gone before her, she is dedicated to continuing the legacy of a rich and powerfully beautiful way of life. Focusing on a greater understanding of the Pikunii World View, Darnell is driven to balance the best of both worlds. Smokey Rides At The DoorSmokey is also known as Esstaakawn (Dependable, works for the People) of the Buffalo Back Fat Band of the Ampskapii Pikunii (aka South Peigan/Blackfeet). He is a traditional historian and respected elder who shares the balance of oral traditions of the Pikunii World View and Ways of Knowing as a teacher and mentor to all who are willing to listen, seek and honor. He inherited and carries on the storytelling skills of his Warrior grandfathers. Smokey is an accomplished educator, coach, administrator, business entrepreneur, civic and tribal leader, financial ambassador, and traditional caretaker of ancient teachings and bundles of the Blackfeet. Smokey has served as a board member, tribal councilman, minerals chairman where he has influenced and developed better relationships at the local, county, state and international levels. Smokey holds a degree in Industrial Arts with minors in History and Business. Currently he is listed as an Ambassador of Goodwill / Finance to the Blackfeet Nation.
Steve ArcaSteve (Stipi) was named for his uncle Stephen (Stipn) Small Salmon in 1963. He was raised by his yaya, Mary Beaverhead Small Salmon and his mom, Alice Small Salmon in Ronan, Montana. His father is Jerry Arca of the Skokomish Tribe. Stipi is Ql̓ispé and enrolled in the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Stipi started his language path when he was accepted in the Adult Intensive Language Program at Nk̓ʷusm Salish Language School in 2012. Stipi has found reawakening and vitalization of his identity through his language journey and has a renewed purpose in life, so much so, that he has been asked to be a keynote speaker at the Celebrating Salish Conference. More recently, he has decided to pursue a degree in Native Language Teacher Education through the collaborative Salish Language Educator Development program while simultaneously teaching full time within the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee’s Salish Language Apprentice program. He attributes his success to his yaya, sisile, Stipn, Patlik, other elders, his family, and his friends.Danielle AntelopeDanielle is a member of the Blackfeet and Eastern Shoshone Tribes and recently graduated from Montana State University with her degree in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems. She is the Executive Director of a local nonprofit, FAST Blackfeet. Danielle acknowledges that Glacier is part of the Blackfeet Nations' home, and the people are connected to the land. She knows that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (native science) is just as real as western science and she will share her Blackfeet traditional knowledge of plants, the history of the Blackfeet people, and family stories. Blackfeet Singers and DancersThe group continue the long-standing tradition of sharing Blackfeet culture with Glacier National Park visitors through traditional songs and dance. Glacier National Park has been the backyard to the Blackfeet People since long before the park was established. Since the arrival of the first train, the Blackfeet have been here to greet visitors. The Blackfeet Singers and Dancers group has been giving visitors a glimpse of the past with their singing, dancing, and narrative of Glacier National Park for over 25 years. Termaine EdmoTermaine is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet/Shoshone Bannock. She is a graduate of the Cuts Wood Immersion School and Blackfeet Community College. Termaine has been an active community member her entire life and her traditional upbringing has led her to be a cultural youth mentor. Termaine is currently the Climate Change Coordinator for the Blackfeet Nation. She believes in keeping the Pikunii way of life alive. Frank FinleyFrank is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes from the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. He is the eldest son of Octave Finley, the Salish War Dance Chief. His mother, Edna, is an expert beadwork artist and crafts person who taught him a great deal about Indian beadwork and jewelry. After graduating from Salish Kootenai College in Environmental Science, he took several art classes to expand his horizons. Frank now teaches at the college and wants to share his cultural background and knowledge. Vernon FinleyVernon is a member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes born and raised on the Flathead Reservation located in northwest Montana. He is a graduate of the University of Montana, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Georgia with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in education. Vernon is a former chairman for the tribe. Don FishDon is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation, adjunct faculty member teaching Native American Studies at Great Falls College-MSU, and a traditionalist (which means practicing my native culture). Glacier National Park is part of my people’s aboriginal homeland and I feel that it is my obligation to inform non-natives of our people’s way of life and to help with understanding and appreciating the Native American’s belief and philosophy. Jack GladstoneJack is “Montana’s Troubadour.” An enrolled member of the Blackfeet Indian Nation, Jack is co-founder Glacier National Park’s “Native America Speaks” program, the longest continuously running indigenous speaker series in National Park Service history. Jack illustrates indigenous culture through music, lyric poetry, and storytelling. His most recent album, Native Anthropology, was honored as “Best Historical Recording” by the Native American Music Association. In 2013, he was presented with the C.M. Russell Heritage Award, recognizing his contributions “to the legacy, culture, life and country of Charlie Russell’s west.” In the same year, Jack founded “Blackfeet Headwaters Alliance”, a local non-profit conservation organization focused on watershed stewardship and conservation on and around the Blackfeet Reservation. Jack was inducted into the University of Washington’s Alumni Hall of Fame, for his “innovations in the field of Speech Communications.” As a scholar-athlete, Jack also was a member of the 1978 Rose Bowl championship team. In 2016, Jack Gladstone received the Governor’s Art Award from the State of Montana. At the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, in 2022, Jack was awarded, from the National Park’s Conservation Association, the prestigious Robin Winks Award “…For sharing and elevating the rich culture and history of Western land and peoples through art, storytelling and song.” In 2023, Jack was inducted into the Montana Music Hall of Fame. Mariah GladstoneMariah is a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. She has been speaking and performing in and around the park since she was 4 years old and continues to share Blackfeet stories across the country. Mariah graduated from Columbia University and currently focuses her efforts in cultural revitalization and Indigenous foods. Robert HallRobert was born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation where he is the director of Blackfeet Native American Studies Program for the Browning Public School District. Robert is working on revitalizing the Blackfoot languages and is one of the youngest speakers of the Blackfoot language. Robert is involved in the Native American Speaks program because he promotes his tribe and people in a positive light and bring a better understanding to the culture, land, and history of the people. Robert has two dogs not including all the rez dogs scattered through Browning and Heart Butte. Ernie Heavy RunnerErnie was raised on a ranch where he learned the old ways from his grandmother who taught him about his Blackfeet culture and language. He has also taught outdoor survival. Ernie Heavy Runner is known as a hero among the Blackfeet people for his life-saving actions stopping a run-away bus filled with firefighters in 1991. Ernie’s program is entitled “Blackfeet History, Culture and Animals.” The program focuses on how animals play an important part in Native American cultures, how and why animal names were given to Native Americans, the history of the Blackfeet, vision quests, and how the Blackfeet relate to Glacier National Park. Genevieve M. HuittGenevieve is an elder of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes who was born and raised in St. Ignatius and attended a Bureau of Indian Affairs Boarding School. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Montana and taught 3rd and 4th grade at St. Paul’s Mission in Hays, Montana. She founded and is a director of the National Native American Music Association. She has represented American Indigenous people at the Smithsonian and on trips to Europe and the Philippines. She is an author who also teaches children to write books. During her program titled “American Indian Music and Storytelling,” Genevieve will play cultural and contemporary native music of the American Indian and will tell stories of the Ponderay people through music. She believes that the Earth is our sacred Mother and we must take care of her as she will take care of us. Iron Shield Creative - Lailani Upham and Carrie Bear Chief
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Last updated: June 5, 2023