‘In order to be healthy, you have to know who you are’ – Folio

July 17, 2024

Siksika Elder Eldon Weasel Child says that, when his father first held him in his arms, he promised: “This one is going to speak nothing but Blackfoot for his first few years so he can visit with his grandparents.”

That was 60 years ago, and Weasel Child did spend his childhood learning from his grandparents and older relatives. After he graduated from university he worked as a Blackfoot historian. “My job was to spend time with Elders,” he says. “That was my dream job.”

Weasel Child went on to become a cross-cultural educator, tribal historian, powwow and country music singer, and an elected councillor for both the Siksika Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy. He even called a few Calgary Flames games in his language.

Read More: https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2024/07/in-order-to-be-healthy-you-have-to-know-who-you-are.html