ULethbridge EleV Navigator Team receives Blackfoot name: Iiksitawapa Akakatsiyiwa

The University of Lethbridge has announced that its EleV Navigator Team has received a new name in Blackfoot: Iiksitawapa Akakatsiyiwa (Going All Out Society). The name was bestowed by Blackfoot Elder Francis First Charger at a naming ceremony to welcome and honour the team and start them forward in a good way. “When we talked with them, I could see they have a lot of enthusiasm, their hearts are in the right place, and they are a very diverse group,” said First Charger. “Now that the six of them are working together they are like a family. The name is hard to translate but when I look at this group, I see they have a lot of fire in them and I see them going all out.” The ceremony included an offer of prayers with a pipe, a praise song, and a celebratory feast. “Receiving a Blackfoot name is a great honour, and also bears a great responsibility,” said ULethbridge manager of strategic Indigenous learning initiatives Shanda Webber. “Every name has a meaning. Every name has a story. … I know the navigator team will hold our new name in high regard and honour our role in community.”