Apistotokin

Naapi holds an honored place for Blackfoot peoples. For millennia, shared stories about Naapi have reinforced connections between them, their land, and the spirits, ancestors, and other- than- humans that dwell with them. These stories, animated and embodied by Naapi, reflect their longstanding and discrete knowledge of who they are— the Niitsítapi, the Real People. For over a century, however, theorists from outside the community and from academic disciplines as diverse as Anthropology, Folklore Studies, Comparative Mythology, Religious Studies, and Psychology have misunderstood Naapi, distorting these lessons and muting their significance. Seeking universal qualities shared with other Tricksters from other communities, these theorists overlook or ignore nuanced distinctions because their inquiries are rooted in a hegemonic ontology that stands in direct contrast to Indigenous ways of knowing.