The Art of Making:
Rediscovering the Blackfoot Legacy
by Jared Tailfeathers,
Durvile & UpRoute Books, 2024
“My aim has been to shed light on the spiritual narratives of geography, Creation stories, resources and skills that are vital for rediscovering my identity as a Blackfoot person,” writes Jared Tailfeathers in the preface to his richly illustrated and deeply researched debut book. Tailfeathers—“a biracial Blackfoot Niitsitapi, English and Scottish Caucasian,” and “a multidisciplinary artist, musician, author, inventor and curator”—took a respectful and wide-ranging approach in his quest for cultural reclamation. “I immersed myself in the entirety of the Blackfoot people and our Territory,” he writes, “taking on roles as researcher, archeologist, anthropologist, cartographer, botanist, remains geologist, astronomer and artist.” The many strands of this journey shine through. A fascinating timeline interweaves the history of the Blackfoot, Treaty 7 and North America. Photos taken by Tailfeathers show Blackfoot cultural sites, along with traditionally made objects and art. He crafts musical instruments, including a bone lute, and documents the process. At the end of this visually engaging book of cultural insight and connection, colourful mural paintings resonate with what’s come before.
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