Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is gearing up for the grand return of the Prairie Chicken World Championships, which will take place at the park on Thursday, June 29. Members of the media were invited to a special tour of the park, located about an hour south of Drumheller on the Siksika Nation, on Monday, June 26. Attendees were given the opportunity to enjoy a private tour of the galleries, which include artifacts dating from pre-colonial times to modern items such as regalia, and also includes the recently repatriated regalia belonging to Chief Crowfoot, a Blackfoot leader from the late 19th century; the regalia, which includes a shirt, leggings, horse whip, bow case and quiver, had been housed at the Royal Alberta Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter, England since 1878 and was returned to the Siksika people in 2022 as an act of reconciliation. Along with the tour, attendees were also treated to a luncheon, which included fry bread or bannock, followed by two special traditional dances–the women’s jingle dress, performed by Kadence Sitting Eagle, and the men’s fancy, performed by Donovan Crowchild Jerry.
