Blackfeet Living Cultural Principles
Video Campaign
Overview
Something unprecedented was happening in Montana: traditional Blackfeet cultural principles were being translated into recognized workplace credentials.
The Blackfeet Nation, in partnership with Accelerate Montana and 4 Poles Educational Consulting Group, was translating traditional cultural principles into recognized workplace credentials. Concepts like Iiya'kaakimaat (trying hard) and sapaatsinnaa'pii (keeping harmony and balance) were being codified into Learning and Employment Records (LERs) that employers could search and recognize.
Our job was to document this process in a way that honored both its cultural significance and its technical complexity, without flattening either one.
The Blackfeet Nation, in partnership with Accelerate Montana and 4 Poles Educational Consulting Group, was translating traditional cultural principles into recognized workplace credentials. Concepts like Iiya'kaakimaat (trying hard) and sapaatsinnaa'pii (keeping harmony and balance) were being codified into Learning and Employment Records (LERs) that employers could search and recognize.
Our job was to document this process in a way that honored both its cultural significance and its technical complexity, without flattening either one.
The Challenge
The work itself was abstract, technical, and still unfolding during production. Cultural principles had to be translated from Blackfoot to simple English definitions, then explored for deeper cultural meanings, then applied to workplace contexts, and finally represented in data systems.
Each step risked distortion or oversimplification.
We worked with multiple different stakeholders: the Blackfeet Nation, Accelerate Montana, 4 Poles Consulting, and Credential Engine. The project spanned several months in 2025, with production happening alongside the credentialing work itself. Schedules shifted. Processes evolved. We stayed adaptable.
Each step risked distortion or oversimplification.
We worked with multiple different stakeholders: the Blackfeet Nation, Accelerate Montana, 4 Poles Consulting, and Credential Engine. The project spanned several months in 2025, with production happening alongside the credentialing work itself. Schedules shifted. Processes evolved. We stayed adaptable.
Our Approach
We worked closely with Elizabeth Dove (Director of Validated Skills) and Jenny Harms (Director), both at Accelerate Montana, to understand the goals of the video and the broader Blackfeet Cultural Living Principles initiative. They helped us refine concepts and coordinate logistics between the Blackfeet Nation, Credential Engine, and our team.
We conducted interviews with key figures across the project: Wendy Bremner and Lona Running Wolf (4 Poles Educational Consulting Group), Dana Pemberton (Personnel Director, Blackfeet Tribe), Leo Bird (Blackfeet Educator), and Deb Everhart (Chief Strategy Officer, Credential Engine). We filmed on the Blackfeet Nation, including during North American Indian Days (NAID), capturing both the process and the cultural context.
Because the credentialing process itself is highly nuanced, we developed custom motion graphics to illustrate data frameworks and help viewers grasp complex concepts being discussed. They were necessary to make abstract systems visible and comprehensible.
Our approach was interview-driven. We discovered the story by asking the people involved what the world should understand. We stayed flexible as the project evolved, adapting to shifting schedules and new developments in the credentialing work.
We conducted interviews with key figures across the project: Wendy Bremner and Lona Running Wolf (4 Poles Educational Consulting Group), Dana Pemberton (Personnel Director, Blackfeet Tribe), Leo Bird (Blackfeet Educator), and Deb Everhart (Chief Strategy Officer, Credential Engine). We filmed on the Blackfeet Nation, including during North American Indian Days (NAID), capturing both the process and the cultural context.
Because the credentialing process itself is highly nuanced, we developed custom motion graphics to illustrate data frameworks and help viewers grasp complex concepts being discussed. They were necessary to make abstract systems visible and comprehensible.
Our approach was interview-driven. We discovered the story by asking the people involved what the world should understand. We stayed flexible as the project evolved, adapting to shifting schedules and new developments in the credentialing work.
The Result
An 8-minute video designed for live events and web distribution. The piece explains why this work matters, how nuanced the translation process is, and why it deserves continued support. It was created for grantors and other grantees doing similar work to understand the scope and significance of what's happening in Montana.
The video respects both the cultural importance of the principles and the technical rigor of the credentialing system.
The video respects both the cultural importance of the principles and the technical rigor of the credentialing system.
Special Thanks
Thanks to Jenny Harms and Elizabeth Dove for trusting us with such a special project, and to Lona Running Wolf and Wendy Bremner for their incredible hospitality and expertise.
Additional thanks to Leo Bird, Dana Pemberton, Deb Everhart, and Pat Armstrong, Jr.
Additional thanks to Leo Bird, Dana Pemberton, Deb Everhart, and Pat Armstrong, Jr.
