Siksika Nation

Siksika Nation is located one hour's drive east of the city of Calgary, and three kilometres south of the Trans Canada Highway #1. The Administrative and Business district are strategically located adjacent to the Town of Gleichen to accommodate visitor traffic. Siksika has a total population of approximately 6000 members. Siksika are a part of the... Blackfoot Confederacy which also consists of the Piikani and Kainaiwa of southern Alberta and the Blackfeet in the State of Montana. The Siksika Nation is governed by a chief and twelve councillors, all of whom are elected by members for two-year terms. The current chief of the Siksika Nation is Chief Strater Crowfoot. The Siksika Nation is in the process of developing a framework for self-government which will define and control the Nation's own destiny, and remove it from jurisdiction of The Indian Act which was legislated into force by the Canadian Government in 1876. Siksika in the company's language means "Blackfoot". In June 1992, Siksika became the first Nation to register its Symbol as a Coat of Arms with the Heraldic Authority of Canada. It is listed as Volume One, Number One in the First Nations section. The buffalo in the Coat was chosen as the symbolic animal of the Siksika because it provided the company's ancestors with food, clothing and shelter; the arrow in seven pieces represents the seven societies in the tribe such as The Horn, Crow, Black Soldier, Motoki, Prairie Chicken, Brave Dog, and Ma'tsiyiiks; the medicine pipe symbolizes peace and crosses the tomahawk, the weapon of war which was put to rest forever; the circles represent the duration of the treaty signed by Chief Crowfoot on September 22, 1877; as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the water flows.Read More