The Shield Keeper Project

Protecting Blackfeet homelands. Strengthening knowledge. Building the next generation of stewards.

A Blackfeet-led approach to land stewardship rooted in culture, language, community, and responsibility.

Who are the shield keepers?

Shield Keepers are part of a growing movement of tribally led stewardship programs that center Indigenous knowledge, language, values, and responsibilities in caring for the land.

At Blackfeet Eco Knowledge, the Shield Keeper program is rooted specifically in Blackfeet ways of knowing and our relationship with our homelands. Shield Keepers combine hands-on environmental stewardship with cultural learning, education, community engagement, and direct learning from Elders.

Their work strengthens Blackfeet presence on the landscape while developing people who can carry the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of stewardship forward.

For Blackfeet Eco Knowledge, caring for the land also means caring for the relationships between land, water, wildlife, language, culture, and community.

A holistic approach to stewardship

The Shield Keeper program intentionally balances time on the land with cultural learning, community responsibility, and continued education. Each component strengthens the others.

Environmental

Activities

40%

The Shield Keeper's largest portion of time is spent in the field. Shield Keepers hike, explore, observe, document, research, and participate in hands-on stewardship activities throughout Blackfeet homelands.

Learning From Elders

20%

Every week, the Shield Keepers will dedicate time to learning directly from an Elder of their choosing. These relationships create opportunities to learn cultural teachings, histories, practices, language, and knowledge that cannot always be learned in a classroom.

Community

Outreach

20%

Shield Keepers bring what they learn back to the community. Through outreach, events, education, and conversations, they share their findings and experiences in settings where that knowledge can reach others.

Research &

Education

20%

Shield Keepers dedicate time to strengthening their own knowledge through research, classes, and cultural education. Many use this portion of the program to study the Blackfeet language through Blackfeet Community College, further connecting language with their stewardship work.

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Land Language Culture Community

Our approach to stewardship recognizes that they are interconnected.

meet the shield keepers

Our current Shield Keepers carry this work forward through weekly fieldwork, Elder learning, community engagement, research, and education. Each follows an individual path of learning while contributing to the shared responsibility of caring for Blackfeet homelands.

Ray Curtis Yazzie

Shield Keeper Coordinator

Joe Wagner

Shield Keeper

CJ Smith

Shield Keeper

Napi Wadsworth

Shield Keeper

Shield Keeper Graduates

THE NETWORK CONTINUES TO GROW

Becoming a Shield Keeper is not simply about completing a program. Each graduate represents greater Blackfeet capacity to care for our homelands, maintain relationships with knowledge holders, engage our communities, and bring Blackfeet perspectives into stewardship spaces.

The experiences and relationships developed through the program are intended to be carried forward—into families, careers, community leadership, and future stewardship work.