October 3rd-5th
Registration is Open
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Registration is Open 〰️
Overview
Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge in Alberta Canada, is an intergenerational and community-focused event rooted in honoring land, culture, leadership, and legacy. This two-day gathering brings together Blackfeet women to reflect on their roles as land stewards and cultural bearers, with sessions on ranch financials, storytelling, craftwork, and environmental stewardship. Through prayer, hands-on sessions, and visioning activities, participants will strengthen their leadership, share knowledge across generations, and build a collective path forward for Blackfeet women in ranching.
Details
October 3rd, 4th, and 5th
In-person, located at Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge
Lethbridge Alberta
Cost
Cost is $25 per ticket and includes all sessions, breakfast and lunch both days, and one dinner.
What to expect
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Session 1
OUR ROLES AND VALUES AS BLACKFEET WOMEN ON THE LAND
Mariah Gladstone will lead a session on the roles and values of Blackfeet women on the land, exploring the value and strength women hold in land stewardship, including a tea workshop.
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Session 2
RANCH FINANCIALS AND BOOKKEEPING 101
Caroline Wild will present Ranch Bookkeeping 101, covering ranch financial management and bookkeeping software.
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Session 3
BLACKFEET WOMEN AS LAND STEWARDS
A Blackfeet rancher and soil conservationist will discuss grazing practices, water access, herd health, climate impacts, land leases, and tribal policy, followed by group mapping of threats and opportunities on Blackfeet lands with a focus on advocacy for Native women ranchers.
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Session 4
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: ENTERPRISE ANALYSIS WITH CAROLINE WILD
Caroline Wild will lead Session 4 on enterprise analysis, running through an exercise that examines the profitability of selling calves at auction by comparing selling prices versus costs to get them to market.
FULL AGENDA
ARRIVAL
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3:00pm
Hotel check in
DAY 01
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7:00am-8:30am
Welcome Breakfast
8:30am— Opening Ceremony
Prayer and smudge by a Blackfeet elder Carol Murray
Welcome by hosts and organizing team
9:00am
Session 1: Our roles and values as Blackfeet women on the land- Mariah Gladstone
The value and strength we hold as women on the land. (Tea workshop)
10:30am— Break
10:45am
Creative Session: “Medicine in Our Hands”
Cultural arts and craft time
12:00— Lunch
1:00pm
Ranch Financials and Bookkeeping 101 - Caroline Wild
Ranch Bookkeeping 101
2:30pm- Resource Share
3:00-3:30pm Personal Wellness Break
3:30pm
Session 3 “Blackfeet Women as Land Stewards”
Topics: Grazing practices, water access, herd health, climate impacts, Land leases, tribal policy, and advocacy for Native women ranchers
5:00— Dinner
6:00-7:30pm — Evening Storytelling
Storytelling Circle: “Where We Come From” Carol Murray: Lead Story teller
DAY 02
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7:00-8:30am
Smudge and Breakfast available
8:30am
Session 4: Crunching The Numbers: Enterprise Analysis of Selling Calves at Auction Caroline Wild
10:00-11:00am — Personal Break (Hotel check 12pm)
11:00am
Vision Workshop: “What’s Next for Blackfeet Women in Ranching?” Tiffany St.Goddard
12pm- Break12:15pm- Sharing Circle and lunch
1pm: Team Clean Up
Get To Know Your Facilitators, Speakers, & Presenters
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ROOTED IN THE LAND PROGRAM CO-LEADER
At their ranch near Glacier National Park, Tiffany, her husband, and their two children raise cattle and horses. With 10 years of experience as a school district business manager, Tiffany now enjoys her roles as a full-time ranch and rodeo wife, sports mom, and part-time consultant. Her family also runs Deep Creek Feeds, a small livestock mineral business. Tiffany loves colt starting, breakaway roping, barrel racing, and peaceful hours at the barn.
Deeply connected to the ranching lifestyle, Blackfeet culture, and her love for horses, Tiffany finds fulfillment in raising her children in this way of life. She holds degrees in business administration and equine management and proudly serves as an ambassador for her ag community, Women in Ranching, and the Blackfeet Nation.
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SPEAKER
Carol Murray is from Badger Creek near Browning and now lives along the Two Medicine River on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. She has dedicated her life to preserving and revitalizing Native American culture, especially for her people, the Amskapii Piikanii (Blackfeet Nation).
She earned her degrees from Blackfeet Community College and Montana State University, working for 36 years at Blackfeet Community College in various leadership roles. Carol now serves as a tribal adviser for the Blackfoot Gallery at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and has co-curated for the Smithsonian Institution.
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FACILITATOR
Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee) is the founder of Indigikitchen. Gladstone grew up in Northwest Montana, and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Environmental Engineering before returning home where she developed Indigikitchen. Mariah has been recognized as a “Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow” through the First Nations Development Institute, a “Culture of Health Leader” through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and an MIT Solve Indigenous Communities Fellow. She serves on the board of the FAST (Food Access and Sustainability Team) Blackfeet. Mariah completed her Master’s Degree at SUNY - ESF through the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
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FACILITATOR
Caroline is the founder of Wild Ranch Solutions and a Brunswick, Maine native who came to Montana in 2014 to pursue a degree in livestock management at Montana State University. She spent five years working throughout Montana's ranching community, from running the DNA department at the American Simmental Association to organizing cattle at Headwaters Livestock Auction, learning to love problem-solving on the go.
She has baled hay and fixed fences across Montana, from north of Yellowstone to the central plains. Most recently, she earned her Master's in Ranch Management from the King Ranch Institute. Her passion lies in helping rural producers, especially women, understand enterprise analysis to identify economically sustainable practices that keep farming and ranching vital in rural landscapes.
Wild Ranch Solutions provides practical financial consulting and education to help ranchers simplify their finances so they can spend time doing what they love. She adventures with her dog Moxie, whether road-tripping, hiking alpine lakes, or reading on the front porch of their Parkman, Wyoming home.
Tickets + Registration
By registering to this event, you agree to WIR Community agreements, Liability and Release Waiver
Frequently Asked Questions
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This event is specifically for Blackfoot women involved in ranching, agriculture, and land stewardship. We welcome women 21 years of age and up and strongly encourage elders to join us, share their invaluable wisdom, and contribute to the community’s collective growth.
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No, day of registration will not be accepted. We encourage you to complete your registration 2 weeks in advance to ensure your spot and help us plan accordingly.
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Each individual attending the event is required to register separately. Registrations are not transferable or inclusive of additional attendees. If you’re coming with family or friends, please ensure that everyone completes their own registration to secure their spot.
We are unable to provide accommodations for youth and children under the age of 21 years old due to insurance coverage.
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All meals, snacks, and beverages throughout the event will be provided.
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For the event, please wear comfortable clothes suited for fall weather, dress in layers to adapt to changing temperatures, and bring a reusable water bottle and thermos for your beverages. Additionally, if you take any medications, please bring them with you and keep them on hand. You will also need go bring a valid passport.
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No, part of building community is creating boundaries and supporting one another to show up fully. Please find good caretakers for your loved ones so you can arrive and be fully present.
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After the event, a resource guide will be available on our website. This guide will include links to organizations, documents presented during the event, and other valuable resources to continue supporting your journey and connection to the community.
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While Women in Ranching is not a Native organization, we prioritize multicultural leadership, ensuring our Rooted in the Land program is led and created by Indigenous women for Indigenous women.
The information collected helps us enhance the gathering, support communities, and meet grant requirements.
