alice kaquitts — stoney nation

alice kaquitts — stoney nation

my name is vera crowshoe my blackfoot name is Innoisspiaakii — long haired woman, i am from piikani nation and belong to the lone fighters clan. i have two adult children my daughter lowa beebe, my son troy crowshoe his wife joely cross child and one grandson joey beebe. 

my parents are joe and josephine crowshoe from piikani. my father joe crowshoe’s blackfoot name is Aapohsoy’yiis — weasel tail, my mother josephine crowshoe’s blackfoot name is Pii’yohkoom iiniitapakii — far away nez perce woman. 

my father joe crowshoe — Aapohsoy’yiis was a spiritual leader of piiknai nation who returned many of our blackfoot cultural spirituality and blackfoot ways of life to piiknai. he successfully brought back many of our spiritual societies the thunder medicine pipe ceremony, the sundance, the brave dog society, and the little chickadee society. my father owned the short thunder medicine pipe which i was raised with and was transferred bracelets from the bundle at the age of eight. my father was a very well-respected spiritual leader of piikani and within the blackfoot territories. he was instrumental in developing the head smashed in buffalo jump.  

my mother josephine crowshoe — Pii’yohkoom iiniitapakii was from the nez perce tribe from lapwai idaho, USA. she was a descent of chief joseph from the nez perce tribe, she belonged to the yellow bird clan. my mother supported and worked alongside my father in his spiritual way of life, they both played a crucial role in preserving the tradition, history and spirituality of the blackfoot culture and way of life. both my parents received the order of canada on november 1, 1991, for preserving and teaching our blackfoot spirituality and way of life. 

 

i am currently employed with alberta health services in the addictions/mental health department as a child and youth development specialist for the past nine years. i was previously employed with livingston range achool Division #68 in fort macleod middle school as a first nation support worker for the first nations students and families. i collaborated with the school counsellor and school administration in servicing the first nation students and families. 

in working with livingston range school division #68, i was instrumental in developing and implementing the 7 traditional teachings of love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility and truth for the students and staff of our school. these teachings helped create an incredibly positive school environment for students and staff. in developing these teaching, i hired elder peter weasel moccasin from kainai and elder herman many guns from piikani to assist me developing these 7 traditional teachings.  

while working within the school, i was a founding member of creating the fort macleod kids first family board of directors and was instrumental in the development of the fort macleod kids family centre building in which today is a building connected to the w.a. day school. the kids first family centre services and supports local families of children from birth to 18 years of age within fort macleod and to both kainai and piikani reserves. the kids first family centre supports families with programs such as parental education, Indigenous outreach and youth supports. the centre engages and teaches blackfoot families with a strong focus on our culture. i work in the areas of these blackfoot family support programs. i co-facilitate niitsitapi parenting groups sessions and their Indigenous literacy and parenting skills (ilap) group sessions. i also facilitate and educate students within the school setting with social programs. i assist and instruct the students in finding their identity and personal strengths to help them become strong individual children.