Lesson 14: The Blackfoot Have Numbers Too!

Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8

Teacher Information:

The exact number of Aboriginal languages spoken at the time of European contact is unknown. This is for a number of reasons. Aboriginal People did not communicate at this time using letters or numbers, and early European traders often kept biased accounts of interactions with Aboriginal People. It is unlikely that they would have been able to record language dialects at that point in history. Many Aboriginal languages exist in a wide range of similar dialects, making classification a confusing and subjective task. However, at present time it is widely accepted that approximately fifty-three distinct Aboriginal languages survive in Canada today. Many of these are related and are subsequently grouped into eleven language families.

The Algoquian language family is reportedly the largest. It consists of language groups such as Cree, Blackfoot, Algonquin, and Micmac.

Blackfoot, or Siksika, is an Algonquian language spoken by 8000 people in southern Alberta and northern Montana. The two main dialects are called Pikanii and Siksika Blackfoot. Many children are still learning Blackfoot, but the language is currently undergoing linguistic shift, with “Old Blackfoot” being spoken by older generations and “New Blackfoot” being spoken by younger ones.

The Blackfoot Nation consists of four distinct Blackfoot Nations, who share a historical and cultural background but have separate leadership : the Siksika (which means Blackfoot), the Akainawa (also called Kainai or Bloods), the Pikanii (variously spelled Piikani, Pikani, Pikuni, Piegan, or Peigan), and the Blackfoot Nation. The first three nations are in Alberta, Canada, and the fourth is in Montana.

The Blackfoot Indian language is one of the few indigenous languages in Canada and the United States that has a good chance for survival.

NOTE: The above information is modified from the following website http://www.native-languages.org/blackfoot.htm

Main Lesson:

Below is a list of Blackfoot numbers one through ten. Laminate each spelling with the number on the back on 8 x10 pieces of card stock in a variety of colors. You may wish to make more than one copy of each letter so that each student can be assigned a number.

1- one NII-TO-KS-SKA       

2- two NA-TO-KA               

3- three NII-YO-KS-SKA       

4-four NII-TSOO-WOO       

5-five NII-TSI-TO              

6- six NOI                       

7- seven IH-KII-TSI-KA       

8- eight NA-NII-TSO           

9- nine PIH-KSO               

10- ten KII-POO               

The circle is an important symbol in Aboriginal culture as it represents interconnectedness, equality, and continuity. Circles are non-hierarchal and inclusive, and are one of the main tenants of Aboriginal worldview and belief systems. Circles are found throughout nature. For instance, the sun and seasons start in the east and move clockwise to the south, west, and north.

Arrange students in a circle. Distribute a number to each student (for the first couple of rounds you may want to have the numbers follow numerical order). Students will go around the circle and one by one hold up the spelling of their number and share with their classmates what number it is they are holding up. The students will then practice saying the number. Repeat this process several times.

Redistribute the numbers in a random order. Students will then hold up their number one by one going around the circle. The other students must try to remember what number is being shown in Blackfoot.

Have the students pick a partner. Once sitting with their partner they can practice simple adding and subtraction based on their individual Blackfoot numbers.

The purpose of this lesson is for students to understand that regardless of the name the value of the numbers stays the same.