BLACKFEET ECO KNOWLEDGE

Ed Kennedy has been a successful private business owner and operator since 1985. During that time, he has managed multi-million dollar projects for various federal and tribal agencies. He currently owns and operates Edward Kennedy & Associates, which holds contracts with the Blackfeet Tribe and Glacier County. Ed employs over 50 individuals, primarily Blackfeet Tribal members or descendants, who possess a wide range of skills in construction. Before starting his own business, Mr. Kennedy was actively involved in grassroots organizing within Indian communities. He provided training and technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations, helping individual Native Americans to start their own business enterprises. Mr. Kennedy has served on regional and national task forces assessing the successes and failures of various American Indian laws. Notably, he participated in fieldwork alongside others during the development of the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act. He also contributed to the legislation that created the Indian Education Act and the Administration for Native Americans, all under the auspices of the Senate Select Committee of the United States Senate. Edward holds a degree in Financial Management and Accounting.

Jeanne Baker is a well-respected elder of the Blackfoot people. She has extensive experience writing various programs and grants, including several 638 packages for the Blackfeet Tribe. Many of these programs continue to thrive due to her expertise. As a strong Native leader, she serves on numerous boards that support Native issues. One of her specialties is writing policies for these boards that drive positive and successful outcomes for grassroots communities.

John Murray is a respected elder of the Blackfoot Confederacy, alongside his distinguished wife, Carol Murray. Together, they have made significant contributions to the restoration, revitalization, and preservation of Blackfoot culture and ways of life. John currently serves as the Tribal Preservation Director for the Blackfeet Tribe and has championed efforts to repatriate sacred cultural items from museums and private collectors over the years. He advocates for the perpetuation of culture and language, continuing to teach generations about the way of life of their Nitsitapii ancestors.

Charlene Burns is a cultural elder of the Blackfoot Confederacy and a strong advocate for Indigenous rights. She is also a business owner, running one of the longest-standing successful businesses in Blackfeet country. Along with her husband, Bob Burns, she has hired and trained hundreds of Native people in hospitality and cultural pride. Her staff shares stories of the Blackfoot people with guests from around the world and is encouraged to highlight the resilience of their community.

Anna Armstrong, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation, and has deep roots within the tribal education system. She holds an Associate of Arts in Elementary Education from Blackfeet Community College, furthering her studies with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Montana-Western and a Master of Education from Montana State University-Northern. With over 5 years of experience, Anna has served as a Culture and Language Immersion teacher for Browning Public Schools, holding a Class 7 License. Her role extends beyond the classroom as she provides district leadership in developing programming for culture and language curriculum. Additionally, she has demonstrated leadership as a team leader. Anna's journey into education followed 10 years of dedicated service in Blackfeet Tribal Gaming Management, where she facilitated the gaming board of directors and oversaw tribal gaming policies and operations. A prominent cultural leader, Anna is a member of the Stamaaksi Pookaaks Horn Society, actively involved in teaching language and culture throughout the community. She resides in Heart Butte, Montana, on the Blackfeet reservation along with her husband and three beautiful children.

Tyson Running Wolf is an avid outdoorsman and an advocate for conservation of the environment to ensure generations after him will be able to enjoy the wilds. Tyson grew up with generations of men in his family teaching him about how to respect the land so the land gives back. Because of his environmental experiences, Tyson went to college and graduated with his Bachelors of Science degree in Forestry- Forest Resource Management and is currently in his Master's of Public Administration program at the University of Montana. The love of the land doesn't stop there, he has served as a Montana State Legislator for five years (currently in his 3rd term) and in that time he has drafted and supported legislation that includes protection and or respectful use land and resource management. Tyson is also connected deeply to his culture as Nitsitapii, and has learned from elders including his grandfather the cultural aspects of traditional hunting, land management and environmental sustainability. Tyson is formally a Tribal Councilmember of the Blackfeet Tribe in which he served as the Executive Secretary. He is a cultural leader of the Nitsitapii including a leader of a sacred society and bundle holder. He also is a practitioner of the culture and a lifelong learner of the culture from elders that teach him centuries of ancestorial knowledge that was never lost. He is a husband, father to seven adult children, and grandfather to ten grandchildren that are the loves of his life.

Lona has served in many capaci2es in educa2on including as a teacher, instruc2onal coach, curriculum and instruc2onal leader, and a university adjunct professor. She has also worked with districts across Montana toward school improvement in her previous role at the Montana Office of Public Instruc2on as the Director of American Indian Student Achievement. She is currently a faculty member at the University of Montana Western working with the tribal grant partnerships of several tribal community colleges’ educator prep programs. She also is co-owner of 4-Poles Educa2onal Consul2ng in which she provides consulta2on on Indigenous educa2on and pedagogy. Lona has an Associate of Arts in Elementary Educa2on from Blackfeet Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Educa2on from Salish Kootenai College, and a Master of Educa2on in Curriculum & Instruc2on – Triple Literacy from the University of Texas and is currently comple2ng her doctoral program at the University of Montana. Lona and her husband Tyson Running Wolf are involved in the cultural revitaliza2on of the Nitsitapii (Blackfoot) socie2es, ceremonies, and language and are cultural leaders in their community. They are blessed with seven children and ten grandchildren.