A’tsimaani Conference Program

Monday, March 9

Location: Coast Hotel - Grand Ballroom
Themes:
  • Storytelling
  • Honouring language champions
  • Blackfoot Language Archive launch
Time
Event
Presenters / Facilitators
8:00–9:00
Breakfast buffet
9:00–10:00
Opening prayer and ceremonies by Ninaisipistoo Francis First Charger. Welcome from organizers, institution, and sponsors
Ninaisipistoo Francis First Charger; Organizing team; Provost and Vice-President Academic Michelle Helstein; Vice-Provost Iniskim Indigenous Relations Leroy Little Bear; Vice-President Research Dena McMartin; Dean of Arts and Science Matt Letts; Chair of Indigenous Studies Hendrika Beaulieu; Director Iniskim Indigenous Relations Shanda Webber
10:00–11:00
Keynote 1
11:00–11:30
Break
11:30–1:00
Round table on storytelling
Blanche Bruised Head, Shirlee Crowshoe, Mary Fox, Debbie Many Bears
1:00–2:00
lunch and Presentation
Leroy Wolf Collar
2:00–3:30
Keynote 2: Making Space for Youth: Listening, Trusting, and Reimagining Language Revitalization
3:30–4:00
Break
4:00–5:30
Blackfoot Language Archive Launch
Inge Genee, Archive Team, and invited guests
5:30–8:00
Opening prayer by Shirlee Crow Shoe; Banquet and Honouring language Champions past and present
Shirlee Crow Shoe; Core team members, dignitaries, invited guests and honorees

Tuesday, March 10

Theme: Adult immersion
Location: Coast Hotel - Grand Ballroom
Time
Event
Presenters / Facilitators
8:00–9:00
Breakfast buffet
9:00–10:30
Workshop: The First People's Cultural Council (FPCC) Mentor-Apprentice Program
10:30–11:00
Break
11:00–12:30
Workshop: Empowering the North: The North-West Territories' (NWT) Mentor-Apprentice Program
12:30–1:30
Lunch buffet
1:30–3:00
Round table: Land-based learning and immersion camps
Core team, students from 2025 immersion camp
3:00–3:30
Break
3:30–5:00
Workshop: Community-led Immersion circles
5:30–7:30
Dinner buffet with keynote 3: Designed to silence: How colonial schooling targeted the Blackfoot language

Wednesday, March 11

Themes: Teaching and learning resources; Technology
Location: Coast Hotel - Grand Ballroom
Time
Event
Presenters / Facilitators
8:00–9:00
Breakfast buffet
9:00–10:00
Demonstration: How to use the Blackfoot online dictionary
10:00–10:30
Demonstration: How to use the Blackfoot Narrative Text Corpus (BNTR)
10:30–11:00
Break
11:00–12:30
Demonstration/workshop: Using a Blackfoot computational model to generate classroom exercises
UofA/ALTLab Group: Antti Arppe, Felipe Bañados Schwerter, Katie Schmirler. With Caroline Russell and Alex Smith.
12:30–1:30
Lunch buffet
1:30–3:00
Demonstration: Pronunciation training:
Rhythm and Melody in Blackfoot
How to use Pitch Art in pronunciation instruction
Montana Group: Naatosi Fish and Mizuki Miyashita
3:00–3:30
Break
3:30–5:00
Workshop: Creating your own pronunciation training materials: Praat and MeTILDA workshop
Montana Group: Mizuki Miyashita and Naatosi Fish
5:30–7:30
Dinner with keynote 4: What Can We Learn from The Way Old Blackfoot Was Written?

Thursday, March 12

Themes: Language and mental health; Bridging school and community; Youth
Location: Coast Hotel - Grand Ballroom
Time
Event
Presenters / Facilitators
8:00–9:00
Breakfast buffet
9:00–10:30
Workshop / Roundtable: Giimooch Gaa-bizindawaad: Reclaiming Anishinaabemowin: a program for silent speakers
Manitoba Group: Kate Binesigichidaakwe McDonald, Carol Beaulieu, Leanna Marshall, Kimberley Spence
10:30–11:00
Break
11:00–12:30
Panel: Barriers to learning
Christina Fox, Annabelle Chatsis, Mary Fox, Kate McDonald, Tiffany Prete, Caroline Russell, Alex Smith, and Manitoba Group
12:30–1:30
Lunch buffet
1:30–3:00
Demonstration: Aikamotsiipoohto: Bringing the Language to Safety
Heather Bliss, Ken Fox, and Youth Language Warriors
3:00–3:30
Break
3:30–5:00
Panel: The role of youth
Naatosi Fish, Ken Fox, Lisa Crowshoe, ULeth Blackfoot Students, TBA
5:30–7:30
Closing prayer
Kathy Hunt