The Niitsítapi (Blackfoot), also known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, are a confederacy of nations comprised of the Amsskapipiikunniwa (Blackfeet Tribe) located in northern Montana, Kainaiwa (Blood Tribe), Siksikawa (Siksika Nation) and Aapatohipiikunniwa (Piikani Nation), located in southern Alberta, Canada. Blackfoot traditional territory spans roughly the Southern half of Alberta and Saskatchewan from the Rocky Mountains to the Plains, as well as a Northern portion of Montana.

Federally funded “Residential schools for Aboriginal people in Canada date back to the 1870s. Over 130 residential schools were located across the country, and the last school closed in 1996. These government-funded, church-run schools were set up to minimize parental involvement in the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development of Aboriginal children. During this era, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools often against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture.

nêhiyaw Lawyer, Author, and Professor, Sylvia McAdam (Saysewahum), from Big River First Nation (Treaty 6) published her book, Nationhood Interrupted: Revitalizing Nêhiyaw Legal Systems, in 2015.

The following are quoted selections from Nationhood Interrupted: Revitalizing Nêhiyaw Legal Systems, which is available through the University of Saskatchewan Library, or Purich Pub

• The Fur Trade era predated the settlement of Canada – origins of the fur trade date back to the 1600s but Fur Trade in the West began around 1715. The popularity of Furs in Europe, such as the Beaver felt - Top Hat, fueled European economic ventures in North America during this time.

• The Gladue Principles: A Guide to the Jurisprudence - Indigenous Law Centre - University of Saskatchewan

Common types of sources on the database, by category:

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles - Peer reviewed journal articles, copies of each journal are attached to the entries.

The following statement must appear in or on any books, articles, maps, reports, workshop presentations, datasets, meta-data or other publications which incorporate or are based on the material downloaded here:

“This work is based upon information provided through the ‘Settler Colonial History and Indigenous People in Saskatchewan: A Gladue Rights Research Database,’ Accessed [provide date here], [hyperlink to entry source] [or] gladue.usask.ca.”

This database is an ever-expanding work in progress. It is designed to provide Indigenous people, their legal counsel, and others working within the justice system with information that will assist in the protection of Gladue rights after a person’s conviction and prior to sentencing. In particular, this database provides researchers with information pertaining to the history of settler colonialism in the province of Saskatchewan up to c. 1990.

All information in this entry is provided by the University of Saskatchewan’s publicly hosted Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia, originally published by the Canadian Plains Research Centre and University of Regina Press, https://teaching.usask.ca/indigenoussk/import/denesuline_dene.php 

“The Denesuline (pronounced Dene-su-lee-neh), Dene or Chipewyan people occupy territory in northern Saskatchewan from Lake Athabasca in the west to Wollaston Lake in the east.