Two Blackfeet tribal members with a long connection and knowledge of the Blackfeet Nation are giving a free presentation at Flathead Valley Community College on Tuesday, Nov. 20.
Joe and Kathy Kipp with speak about Blackfeet traditions at 6 p.m. in room 144 inside the Arts and Technology Building on the college’s campus as part of an event organized by FVCC’s Multicultural Affairs office.
The Kipps have made a living raising cattle and operating a fishing and hunting guide service on the ancestral grounds of the Blackfeet Nation. They are both tribal members and descendants of people who hunted and fished for subsistence. They are deeply involved in the sun dance and sweat lodge ceremonies and facilitate in whatever positions their elders appoint them.
Kathy holds a master’s degree in education and has taught elementary school on the reservation for many years. During the presentation, she will explain the medicine wheel and its perpetual story. She also will discuss the traditional role of the women in Blackfeet life compared to the role of women in today’s society.
Among Joe’s proudest achievements was his service as an acolyte to the late George Good Striker, an elder of the North American Wisdom Keepers. During the presentation, Joe will attempt to communicate to the audience, through their collective consciousness, about traditional Blackfeet spirituality.
For more information, contact Multicultural Affairs and Study Abroad Coordinator Mick Stemborski at 756-3945 or at [email protected]