Event Recap
Blackfeet Women in Ranching Go International
By Tiffany St. Goddard
October 20th, 2025
Lethbridge, Alberta — October 3th–5th, 2025
Blackfeet and Blackfoot women excitedly traveled to Lethbridge, Alberta, for the 3rd Annual Blackfeet Women in Ranching Gathering. This was a milestone event marking Women in Ranching’s first-ever international gathering.
This event carried deep cultural significance. For generations, the medicine line. now known as the U.S.–Canada border, divided the Blackfeet and Blackfoot bands. This weekend symbolized connection and solidarity across that line. Women from both sides gathered to rest, share resources, pray, and reconnect with one another and the land.
Designed by Indigenous women for Indigenous women, the event carried an unspoken theme “Come as you are, for who you are.” It created a space of acceptance, love, and trust.
Weekend Highlights
Following Friday's arrival and check-in, Saturday opened with a prayer and smudge ceremony led by elder Carol Murray before moving into sessions that explored women's roles as land caretakers with facilitator Mariah Gladstone (including a tea-making workshop), a hands-on cultural arts session creating beaded elk hide moccasin keychains with me (Tiffany St. Goddard), practical ranch financial management training with Caroline Wild, and a discussion on traditional cultural burning practices with Alvin First Rider, concluding with an evening storytelling circle where participants shared their personal histories and ancestral wisdom. Sunday began with a morning smudge and breakfast, followed by Caroline Wild's session on enterprise analysis and marketing strategies for selling calves at auction, and ended with a collaborative visioning workshop led by me that focused on identifying next steps, priorities, and community goals for Blackfeet women in ranching.
The weekend concluded with a sharing circle and lunch, closing in gratitude, reflection, and renewed commitment to the strength of Blackfeet and Blackfoot women in ranching.
Building Lasting Connections
One of my favorite parts of the gathering was the” medicine in our hands” session I led creating key chain moccasins. The beauty and detail that went into each participant’s beadwork, peer to peer support and keeping our hands busy throughout the weekend as we actively worked, listened and engaged in each session.
I love the bonds and trust built within our gatherings. The connections are authentic and hold so much value to me.
For me, this gathering adds so much value to why we do what we do at WIR. Through WIR’s core values and the way I am creatively supported to bring women together, friendships are created and cherished. A strong sense of connection, community and cultural heritage build our Blackfeet Gatherings. My favorite thing about what I do, is that just when I think a gathering can't be topped, the next year proves to be even better. These women become part of our family within our indigenous ranching community, Rooted in the Land program and Women in Ranching as a whole.
