The Sobering Realization of Blackfoot Language

Sterling Cryinghead is a language teacher, although he doesn’t like to think of himself as one. Sterling shares his journey of language sharing with host Eugene Brave Rock and how a group of learners were so eager for language, they wanted class more than once a week. 

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Transcript

Multiple Speakers [00:00:00] [cheerful electronic music] Sim gigyat, Sigidim Haanak’, K’ubawilxsihlxw. Kwe! Kwe! Oki, wishing you good life. Yo! Wik’sas. Dánet'e, negha dágǫ́ht’e. 

Announcer [00:00:14] This is Words and Culture, a series on Indigenous languages funded by SiriusXM through the Community Radio Fund of Canada. [music fades out] 

 Eugene Brave Rock [00:00:00] (introduces self in Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

My name is Eugene Brave Rock and I’d like to welcome you to Season Three of Words and Culture. I am so excited to be able to introduce you to my community, my family, my culture, and especially my language. 

The Blackfoot people call themselves Niitsítapi, or The Real People. Or Siksikáí'tsitapi, the Blackfoot People. The Blackfoot Confederacy consists of four tribes, Siksiká, Káínaa, Piikáni, and Aamsskáápipikani. Our Nation was divided by an arbitrary line, something you may know as the Canadian-US border. Some of us call it the Medicine Line. 

Did you know that the Blackfeet Confederacy was part of the Jay Treaty in 1794? Before Canada was even a country. As well, the Aamsskáápipikani who are South of the border were a part of the treaty of Treaty 7. Our traditional territory runs along the Rocky Mountains from Edmonton, Alberta down to Denver, Colorado. 

As for me, I am an actor, a stuntman, a producer, and a consultant. I also work on the Oki Language Project, and I’ll share more about that in upcoming episodes. On this season of Words and Culture, we’re going to visit the Blackfoot, the Gitxsan, and the Dene. 

But we’re kicking things off in Blackfoot country. From the majestic mountains to the people once described by Indian agents as the creme of creation. My first guest is Sterling Crying Head. He is a man from Káínaa and he teaches the Blackfoot language through social media platforms. 

I chose him to be on the program because of his fluency and his young age. I spoke with him on the phone from his home in Bull Horn. The Blackfoot Nation’s physical area is large and we can’t always travel in person to visit people. Picking up the phone for an afternoon conversation feels so old school and personal. 

This is our conversation. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:03:09] Oki niisto ahnakok Píítaapookáá (continues introducing self in Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

Hello, my name's Sterling Crying Head. My Blackfoot name's Píítaa’pookáá, which is Eagle Child. What I just said was – introduced myself, and I'm really happy to be sharing a part of my story, a part of my past. I'm from the Blood Tribe and I come from Small Blankets or Small Robes Clan. Well I'm not fluent, but I know some Blackfoot. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:04:01] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:04:02] I was always in Blackfoot’s anitawah but I was pretty quiet as a kid, shy. And I think a lot of that was – I would observe a lot – Observe, “in-ska-ti-ohss.” My dad as well, he was able to speak Blackfoot and my mom understood Blackfoot but wasn't able to speak as good. 

When I was young, I had a chance to meet my great-grandmother, her name was Áaksíkkinaa’pssi’taki. Which means Gentle Diving Woman. Her English name was Bertha Crying Head – or Wolf Child. And we lived up there, up at her house with her for some time and I remember her brother, late – I forget his Blackfoot name, but Harrison Wolf Child was her brother. 

He would come in sometimes and visit and just listen, you know, hear them as well, speak Blackfoot. And just by, I think, hearing the language of how it sounded – like, not enough to make me fluent, but I think everyone that grew up – and we would all know a certain language of how that's the most important thing is hearing the sound of it. 

And I think that's why I was able to catch on once I started. I was always kind of trying to figure out what I was good at when I was young. I was never good at school. (laughs) I never liked school. I never like being in a classroom. But, you know, as I got older, I started, kind of – I really found a passion in Niitsíʼpowahsin or Blackfoot language, the Real Language. 

When I started striving to learn it. I remember the first time I was probably about in high school at that time. And I would hear odd words here and there, you know, just like my dad speaking. That wasn’t enough to be fluent and – but I would – started wanting to learn more because I found I was so – I was able to read it so well and I just grew, like, a passion for it. 

And I remember cleaning up my grandmother's house and there was some boxes downstairs. We were just going to throw them away because they were not ours, they’re – At the time, I wasn't really aware, but I’d seen a – there was a Blackfoot dictionary, but I wasn't thinking about it at time. I thought I'll buy my own. Then a couple of days went by when it was raining outside and I still haven’t hauled those garbage or not yet anyway. I looked in my mind and I was like, “Oh yeah, so I've seen a book, maybe I can use that.” 

So I started reading the dictionary, noticing I was able to pick the words up, so – to read it, the grammar of it and I thought, “Well, we grew up hearing it.” But I think once you start reading it, the ones that are trying to learn the language, it's always with us and part of us. Who our kitákianun, our spirit. And it's not lost, I think, we just got to reconnect with it. 

It has shaped me to who I am now, and I have learned more by learning our language, like in the words, they mean – taught me more than (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

The words I find on there, you know, every day (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

Every day, I'm reading it and studying it, you know, observing how it is. So that's what I've been doing through the years and it has been also my therapy. It always made me very grounded. The way I grew up, I was quite – I didn't go out much. I didn’t – I just like to stay home. I stayed out of trouble. I lived a different way, you know, I didn’t – but that's one thing that really helped me and kept me grounded to this day. I cherish and really appreciate how it's i’pówahsin has helped me. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:08:10] I appreciate what you put out there on social media, you know, even the humor stuff, it's really – it really shows a lot about who we are as Niitsítapi and as our, “kin-neh-koh-on,” with our humor. 

 (laughs) It's funny, I was looking at your word of the day the other day. I gotta, I gotta kick out of it. “You're gonna go sell your bottles.” (both laugh) But that's a common word, phrase, and saying that everybody should know, you know? 

Sterling Crying Head [00:08:43] Oh yes, yeah. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:08:47] (narrating) I have known of Sterling Crying Head for the past twenty years, probably. We grew up on the Rez, the Blood Tribe, or Káínaa. At age 29, he is probably one of the youngest fluent speakers of the language. He also does word of the day on social media. 

[clip of Crying Head teaching] 

I really enjoy listening to Sterling’s technique and very proud and glad that he uses his platforms for social media to share his language and his wisdom and his insights of the language. Especially utilizing everyday words and phrases and sayings, and yeah. Who hasn’t had to sell their bottles at one point? 

Sterling Crying Head [00:09:46] You know life can sure have challenges, but it's part of life, eh? But finding that – the passion, what made me feel nitsíítaaitsiihtaa, happy, positive state of mind. That peace. And that's what I kept striving for and (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) Our words are powerful, more people would say it then. 

My mom would always – my Auntie would always hear them telling us to always watch our – how we use our words. And I remember when I started learning the Blackfoot, I was in a walk with my cousin. At the time, I was start – I was trying to learn more and I told him, “One day I'm going to be fluent.” 

And years passed by, and I looked to – or reflect and look where I’m at now. There – learned a lot over the years and a lot of power and knowledge that Niitsíʼpowahsin has to it. And, like I said, I feel like it really has shaped me of who I'm being, learning the words. And that's the thing is – connection with the words. You can always find it like a spirit, you know, a lot of our way of life. 

You know, when I start teaching, putting more videos on TikTok, there's a lot of people who know me from there as well. I wanted to not do language less, but use it in a way of inspiration. I was putting the music behind it and saying these inspirational words on my TikTok. You know, I'll keep this as positive as I can because I want this to inspire but there has to be that little balance, you know, a lot it from their inter-generational trauma, I start realizing. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:11:31] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:11:32] I think if we follow – always follow in our passion of what we have that passion for in life, to me, I think that's kanaki, the gift and spirits. That there are gifts and skills we have. And that's what – even if – when we find that passion we have, we should always give that extra step, because that's going to lead us in life. It's opened doors for me, following that passion, it has made me, you know, happy in life and – 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:12:00] (narrating) Sterling Crying Head works at the Bringing the Spirit Home Detox Centre in Stand Off, Alberta. Two years ago, his friend Todd Across the Mountain suggested that he start teaching his clients the Blackfoot language. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:12:14] So when I started teaching, it really amazed me. I started showing the clients – and these are clients that are coming to strive for their healing – recovery journey. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:12:23] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:12:23] So they’re showing them Blackfoot and – on a board and they had fun that first day. The second time was every Wednesday and they were telling them it wouldn't be a Tuesday or something. “I thought we were going to learn Blackfoot today.” I told ‘em, “no, not til Wednesday.” 

But they were determined to learn and that's the second day. I tell them, “Well, after supper we're going I'm going to have Blackfoot.” So after supper, they got their chores done and they were already preparing that room. They were excited, had their little journal books with them as well to write in. 

And I start showing them – it was something amazing, and these are people who, as well, sure, battle their emotions as well – start showing them words and they were having fun with it. They were laughing in that room. It felt so positive. They're laughing, smiling, just having fun learning the language and I thought in that second nitsííksipisatsi’taki, I was amazed and I thought, I thought (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) the language is really powerful. 

These are people that are battling addiction, battling their emotions, like seeing the way it brought that positive energy, laughter and smiling towards them. Right to – 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:13:43] Bringing them connection and purpose. That's right. That's awesome. That's such a good story to hear. Powerful, we right. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:13:52] That the work we do here is always for (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) our hearts, you know. Coming from the right reasons, and if we do things from our hearts, you know, it's truly gonna make a powerful impact. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:14:08] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:14:09] And, well, now I started to learn – teaching more to Blackfoot. I set up a Blackfoot session in Stand Off every Tuesdays. And that as well, I'm not getting funded for it, but still want to head with it. Because I think, well, applying the values and sharing, giving this back to people who want to learn it. And I'm not receiving money out of nitsíípisski as well, I’m feeding as well. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:14:38] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:14:39] And I think that is applying all the values as well. So, you know, I'm feeding, so in generosity. I never say I'm going to teach, but I'll say we'll learn the language together, because I'm still learning a lot as well. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:14:53] Mmm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:14:54] But it has really opened doors for me. This is only the start for it and I know I still got a long way to come – go, but (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) I believe it's going to be really very positive for everyone. And I believe this is going to be – it’s our strength. And that's like our spirit. I always say (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) our language at the root of the tree, that we need to plant. 

There’s that language that's – if you go back to residential school, what's one thing they target is our spirit, our language. Our language is our spirit, and think getting our language, again, reviving it back. And as myself, you know, I felt it as well. Like I said, it has really been my guide or my helper, you know, like the language took me out of trouble, took me out of any negative lifestyles. And I – and, you know, I think we start speaking the language, even, maanitápiiksi, the youth, that's where we're going to find that strength back within us. That's what that tree (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) that tree’s gonna grow. 

That's all I'm trying to do is inspire others and that – we'll be able to keep our language and that – myself knowing, well we are going to continue to keep it alive. And we're just planting that seed of our language now. 

And I know over the next couple of years, because I see a lot of younger people as well trying to learn the language and a lot Blackfoot program languages going up. And people need to attend these language sessions in person. You can't really learn from a screen or over the – I think the best way is to be in there, as a person, because you've got to feel and make that connection with the iitsi’poyi, in language, eh? 

I remember being, when I was younger, hearing older people speak, you would feel that very good energy it brings to you, to oneself, hearing it. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:17:11] (narrating) It’s nice when I go back home and I’m able to sit and listen to the language being spoken. Whether it’s casual conversation, or a story or even a joke. The way the Elders speak. There’s rhythm and flow to it. Sometimes there’s even exaggeration in the way the words are spoken. The way they say oki (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

I can still hear my old bus driver’s voice, Wayne Plum, the cadence of his voice. He was a really loud dude. Louder than me even. 

But the one thing I’ve always had a difficult time with is reading the language. But like Sterling, the Blackfoot dictionary has also helped me. I will read the dictionary and it helps me to figure out exactly what I want to say, the meaning behind the words. 

It's a different feeling sometimes, knowing the language, being able to understand it, but not being able to speak it, or even to reiterate what was just told to me. It's almost like I feel it in my spirit, as opposed to being able to turn around and explain it to somebody. 

I asked Sterling how he learns the language. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:18:31] Main thing is to have fun with it, learning to not feel like it should be a challenge. So I always – I have to – I always write the English words in one note and the Blackfoot words in the other, opposite notebook. 

Then every day I'll practice the one in English and try to translate it in Blackfoot. Then the opposite, learn the Blackfoot and try to translate it in English. And while I'm doing that, you know, I try to visualize the action-word in my head as well. And buying a recorder is really useful as well. You know, I’ll record myself saying the words so I can give myself some time to sit there and listen to myself saying the words, you know, on the recorder and while I do that I kind of just visualize what is being said. 

And it really works because over time I kind of get to a point where I can think of people who are conversating, yeah? The way I'm teaching it now is – very still new at teaching, but I'm using words that, like, I'm trying to make sentences, like the last class I had and – was about going to, you know, shopping. 

So I threw the word up, matóówahsoohpommaat, to go grocery shopping for food. And – words that we're going to use every day. You know, we got to start applying the words we use daily. The colors and numbers are, like, less. I think we got to do the – less colours and numbers in the schools. Like, applying the word that they can say – that on a daily base. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:20:17] I think that's great. I think – Comb your hair. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Brush your teeth. Hurry up, you know? 

Sterling Crying Head [00:20:28] (replies in Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:20:29] I'm going to school. You know, there's so many different common words. I hear you when you say it about – ‘cause I mean, even right now, you go and take a Blackfoot class in the university, they're going to teach you numbers, colours, body parts. But it's hard to put those together in a real sentence. 

What do you think is one of the biggest challenges that we have right now in time, in teaching our kids? 

Sterling Crying Head [00:20:56] Oh, well, one thing for (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

Is, you know, every day I think that – because children, today, it's hard because they're always watching every day, or always watching their tablets or things like that. (laughs) 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:21:19] Electronics. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:21:20] The technology – 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:21:21] Mmhm. 

Sterling Crying Head [00:21:23] – it’s quite in the way of that. But I think that's where it is really important for even just people who are starting to learn. You know, it's all going to start from their house and learning the words you can use in their house. And speak, you know (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) have a conversation. Build them in, but in our language, like a natural boughten – be’ll like a school, but they'll automatically pick up. 

The courage I have for the people – the Niitsíínitsopok who are trying to learn the language. I know once they start learning the words and Niitsíʼpowahsin and they're going to start seeing the way it's going to make them feel. The healing that's going to come with it as well. That's the main thing we are missing. 

And once you start making connection with the language, that's just like calling our true identity, our spirits back. So much strength in there. And I know once that comes with speaking the language. And that's the reason I'm trying so hard. Not for my own gain, not for my own self. As right now, I'm sharing the language óhkana, I'm not gaining anything from it. And that's the way I wanted it to be, so I can give back, you know. As thankful as how it helped me, knowing it can sure help a lot of our people out there. 

Eugene Brave Rock: [00:23:31] Well, I thank you for what you're doing, because what you're doing, that power, I mean, there is power in that, and it's something that can't be boughten, you know, that's more powerful than anything. 

Sterling Cryinghead [00:23:44] Yeah, so, you know, because I truly inna’sikiitaaksstamotootoyi’tsika, care for the people a lot then. And taught how to be humble in life and how not to belittle anyone. We're all the same no matter what. And that's the way I look at everyone, and doing that, what I do with the language. It's my passion. It's who I’m – my purpose. 

We all have a purpose, no one's purpose is either greater or lesser than the one beside. All our purposes and gifts and skills we have are all that piece of the bigger picture. And that's why ksikkímmanitapitsin, is so very well important to help one another. Áaksikimmositpiiyo’p, help one another. Áakimmosityo’p, care for one another. Iksiki’tsimosityo’p, encourage one another and ignite one another. 

You know, that's where I know (speaks Niitsíʼpowahsin) 

Very important to keep our language spoken. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:25:01] (narrating) As our time together winds down, Sterling decides to leave us with a song. A song that he wrote in Blackfoot. 

(sings traditional style) 

Sterling Cryinghead [00:25:09] (sings traditional style) 

That was a song I made, it’s a iihtawáákomímmotsiiyo’p (laughs) Means, well, medicine – what makes one fall in love in song. 

Eugene Brave Rock [00:26:21] (narrating) That was Sterling Crying Head. He is a language learner and while he doesn’t like to call himself a teacher, he really is. He is a sharer of the Blackfoot language and I am grateful for his work. 

My name is Eugene Brave Rock. I’m your host for the Blackfoot episodes. To hear all of our episodes of Words and Culture, including episodes from the Haida, the Métis, and the Anishinaabe please visit our website at www.wordsandculture.ca. And remember to check us out on socials, just search for Words and culture. 

Áakitakitamaatsinyo’pau. 

Announcer [00:27:03] [cheerful electronic music] Words and Culture is made possible with funding from SiriusXM, through the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Words and Culture is produced by Kim Wheeler. Kaylen Belair is our audio engineer and editor. 

Multiple Speakers [00:27:15] Hami yaa. K’achu naohdá nǫ́. Halakas'la. Kitakitamaatsinyo’pau, we’ll see you later. [music fades out]