Blackfoot Confederacy flag to fly permanently at Chinook High School

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - LETHBRIDGE HERALD on November 9, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Chinook High School has raised the Blackfoot Confederacy flag permanently and residential school survivor Ramona Big Head is hoping other schools follow their lead in recognizing traditional Blackfoot territory.
“This is home for us, even though I don’t live in Lethbridge, this is still traditional Blackfoot territory, so it’s important that we have our public school systems acknowledge that. And I am just really impressed with Chinook High School and their efforts to be the first High School, or the first school I believe within the school district 51 to commemorate the Blackfoot people this way,” said Big Head.
Big Head explained that the Blackfoot confederacy flag was created by Blackfoot elders who got together a few years ago and designed the symbols on the flag.
“This is Niitsitapi territory, and it continues to be, and to honour that we felt like raising the flag was the right thing to do,” said Duane Piper, vice principal of Chinook High School.
Piper added that the foundation for the raising of the flag came from former principal Kevin Wood and a former staff Jeanine Jackson.
“Chinook High School is committed to truth and reconciliation, and that word reconciliation is an ongoing term, it’s not like we are going to raise this flag and then call it good, this is a part of many things that we are doing at Chinook High School every single day for the forward momentum of reconciliation,” added Piper.
Big Head said that she found that back when she was going to school it was normal to be segregated, it was normal to be racist, it was normal for them to hold their heads down and take it.
“Nowadays a lot of our young people are speaking out, our young people are not putting up with it. And that is why I really encourage the young people here, within Chinook High School, to not be afraid to speak up when they know something is just not right,” said Big Head. “So for them to see this flag everyday, they will be reminded of where they are. And where are we? We are standing in traditional blackfoot territory and it doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in, we have to acknowledge that fact. This is traditional Blackfoot territory.”
Big Head also added that the Blackfoot are not gone, they are still here and the language is still here. The connection to the land is still here, the connection to ceremony is still here.
“We are still here and we are not going anywhere. So for students to acknowledge that for years to come, from today moving forward I think is very powerful,” said Big Head.
She also explained that people will not see a Blackfoot Confederacy flag hang anywhere else in the world, only on traditional Blackfoot territory.

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