Poverty in Blackfoot is kimatapsini, which means “to have empathy and compassion for someone”. In the old days, no one suffered for need of food, shelter, protection or transportation. The leadership, the war chiefs and warriors who were in charge, took care of all the people in their community. Leadership, in the old days, meant not only to protect the people but see to it that they had everything they needed for sustenance. The people were communal. They practiced collectivism and interdependence. They shared everything. Family connections were strong. They had built-in systems that accommodated their beliefs, laws, clan system, societies and spiritualism. That was their way of life — their survival depended on it.

In this episode, Peter and Jill discuss the ramifications, and what we might be able to do in our day-to-day lives to make a difference.

Episode 1 - The Indigenous Perspective on Poverty

Jaclyn Silbernagel

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