Meet Montana Teacher of the Year: Kevin KickingWoman | Smithsonian Voices

“From the beginning of colonization, Europeans who came to the Americas sought to eradicate indigenous traditions by imposing their system of compulsory formal education on the tribes they encountered. Through this process, Christian and government boarding schools did much to eliminate native languages ​​and cultures. This is a success story of honoring a tribal teacher who implements a modern curriculum to save his language.”

The 2023-24 Montana Teacher of the Year is Kevin KickingWoman of the Blackfeet Nation. KickingWoman served in the Navy for four years and was based on USS Sacramento in Bremerton, Washington, with housing and a certificate in main propulsion engineering. KickingWoman holds a Grade 7 teaching certificate, qualifying him as a Blackfeet Cultural Teacher. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Native American studies and anthropology from the University of Montana in 2011 and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Montana in 2013.

KickingWoman has dedicated her career to teaching, learning and sharing knowledge. He began his nearly 25-year teaching career at Browning Middle School in Browning, Montana, and later became director of Indian education at Heart Butte Public Schools, also in Montana. He later worked as coordinator of the Bridges to Baccalaureate program while also serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana.

Today, KickingWoman teaches Blackfeet language and culture to grades 9 through 12 at her alma mater, Browning High School. KickingWoman also practices native ceremonies and traditions and is an active member of many Blackfeet tribal associations. His passion for native singing earned him respect, recognition and knowledge. His singing, sharing and teaching influenced and enriched the lives of many. Currently, KickingWoman and his wife Joni have five children and a granddaughter, Kookaakii, who is his pride and joy.

We interviewed Mr. KickingWoman about his legacy and how it played an important role in his educational endeavors. Below are his answers:

Can you give us your native name, its English translation and/or nickname?

My Indian name is Kookii. It means “corner post”.

What tribe are you and where do your people live?

I am Aamsskáápi Piikáni. I am from the southern Piikáni (Blackfeet people). I live in a small town called Ithonio (Browning, Montana). There are four teams of us. Three of them are located in Canada, divided by the 49th parallel. These are Aputsi Piikáni, Kanai and Siksika. Similarly, the Aamsskáápi Piikáni lived in the United States on approximately 1.5 million acres of original Blackfoot territory.

What cultural events do you take part in?

I take part in many. I am the guardian of songs. So one of the most important things that will happen is when the first thunder occurs. When this happens, we start to gather around and call each other that we need to get ready to dance. And men and women who take vows may fall ill during the year. So they take vows of healing and dance with a pipe. There is also a series of songs that we have sung for thousands of years and still sing today. I’m attending Sundance. I’m doing a Sweat Lodge. I often conduct them. And all these years we have been honoring people, singing family, clan and social songs. One of the most important events on the Blackfeet reservation is Native American Days, which take place the second week of July. They have about six to seven hundred dancers and about 30 to 40 drum groups come. It’s quite a big celebration. I also do a lot with Glacier National Park. I belong to the so-called Native Speaker series. That’s something new at the moment, so we have about 15 speakers who are educating the public about Native philosophy and talking about Native culture.

What is the important historical event for which your tribe is best known?

North American Indian Days again. I think it’s like the annual 75th anniversary. Also, every year we commemorate the 64th flood that killed over 200 people, as well as the Baker massacre, which is a huge event in the country where in 1870, around December, Major Eugene Baker led the massacre of over 270 Blackfeet women and children and so on. we commemorate it every December.

Why is tribal language important to the continuity of your culture and traditions?

Languages ​​and distinctive signs are who we are. I tell my students that my name is Aamsskáápi Piikáni and I speak Blackfoot. I literally feel that if you lose your language, you lose yourself. And that’s why language is so important. The tongue also softens your heart. I truly believe that when you look through the lens of a Native Speaker, you see a completely different context than what you look at from the outside, or because everything is alive. It’s an anime. So it’s just a beautiful language. It’s something that resonates with people of all races.

Approximately how many members are in your tribe and what percentage are fluent?

We have 17,500 members. But only about 200 fluent speakers remain. We are trying to change this.

How many students have you taught?

In my career? Wow, I think thousands come through the door. And my class load? I look at 130 students a day because my classes are elective, so I have about 25 students per class times seven periods.

How long have you been teaching?

I have had some breaks throughout my 25-year career. I served in the Navy and put out fires as a hot shooter. But then I would go back to teaching. I think what really changed me was working with a gentleman named Leon Rattler. He asked me to come and work with young people. At this little youth camp that we did in the summer, mainly to get into teaching and since then at home they have a seventh grade teaching certificate that can be used by people who speak the language. If you are a speaker, you must sign this from the tribal leaders and you can teach the language. So I found that it’s difficult to walk into a classroom without classroom management skills and what not. So I decided I needed to go back to school and get all these tools.

Are you a descendant of any important tribal leaders?

I am a descendant of Chief Nanastico, a mountain chief and mountain chief dating back to the late 18th century. Chief Mountain Chief was part of the Black Horse Society. There were plenty of members and warriors in this society. But Chief Mountain Chief was very common. And he had a son who he gave his name to, Mountain Chief, who was very, very famous. You can google him to see his picture.

What part of your tribal background inspired you to become a teacher?

I thought back to growing up in foster homes. There was a gentleman named Chief Earl Old Person who was the mentor of my grandfather, George KickingWoman. These two gentlemen were people you could ask them to do anything, and they rarely said no. The humility with which they walked. I also wanted to walk with humility, to be generous every day, to laugh and cry like they did. You can go up and ask them for advice on certain songs and they will take the time to help you. They inspired me with their knowledge. They were like an encyclopedia. They inspired me to be a teacher because as Blackfeet we have a responsibility to give back our knowledge because nothing has been written so as my grandfather used to say “never skimp because when you leave this earth you will take your knowledge with you” you. So pass it on.” This is what inspires me to make a difference in young people and at the same time constantly learn from my elders.

Were there any obstacles you encountered as a Native that challenged you as a teacher?

One of the main obstacles I face is that my parents went to boarding schools. I have found that children search for their cultural identity by asking themselves who am I? They have a hard time finding out who they are because they are told that being Native is not cool. When we try to teach our ways, other natives say, “I don’t want my children to learn this.” These are the reasons why children are so confused. I believe the only way back is to learn our language and songs. I’ve found that the trauma our children experience today, I almost think it’s an innate gene that we fight against. Our people are asked: why can’t we deal with this? The elder replied, “If you look at it from the right perspective, our ceremonies come from the past and we need them to heal the present so that we can move forward into the future.” This is how I look at education. We need to return to our ceremonies so that we can feel this in the present. I feel sorry for what our children feel now. They feel somewhat connected without actually being connected.

How did you find out you were Montana Teacher of the Year?

They hid it from me pretty well. It was funny because there had been fights at school the night before. The next morning I’m sitting in class and they’re calling this meeting. I’m not ready to go there, so I sat for a while before going to the meeting place. When I arrived, everyone, including the principal, was sitting there waiting. Something was wrong because they had a photographer there, and I thought, “We’re going to get in trouble, right? I still didn’t understand what was happening until my family showed up and the principal called me to the front. Then it dawned on me what was happening. Seeing my family was the biggest surprise for me because I have a new granddaughter now and she won’t remember it, but I will. That’s why it seemed so beautiful to me that my family and new granddaughter could share this special moment with me.

What goals and objectives have you not yet achieved in your educational career?

One of my goals is to produce at least 20 fluent Blackfoot speakers during my tenure in grades 9 through 12. So that when they graduate, they will have the basics and know what I know. One way to achieve these goals is to implement the new Blackfoot writing system. Public schools support this and thus help to standardize a uniform way of writing and teach the Blackfoot language so that every student can at least learn to read, write, pronounce and understand it.

Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in foster homes that experienced severe abuse, and I also know the problems our children face on our reservation. I try to be approachable to our children and be someone they can relate to. Part of the wisdom I share is to never let harm get in your way. Always try hard and never give up. These are the types of encouragements I share every day. I tell them, “Our ancestors suffered because you were here today. So the best you can do is give it your all.”