Watch gets Blackfoot name

By Lethbridge Herald on June 19, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Watch, a volunteer extension of Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), received a Blackfoot Society name Wednesday. Its new name, Kiayipookaa Kana’kamotsi or Kiaayopokaa Kanakasin, translates to Bear Child Society.

They also received an honour song to accompany their name.

The official spelling is currently in discussion as different language speakers will write things down differently.

Shane Kisinger, manager of The Watch program, reached out to Trissly Blackwater, community engagement support for the LPS, asking how to go about getting a Blackfoot name for The Watch.

Blackwater, who helped with the translation of the Lethbridge Police Service values into Blackfoot last year, says she was excited to hear of the continuing collaboration between the police and Indigenous people.

“About a year ago we translated our values into Blackfoot and we had the unveiling,” she says. “At that time I wasn’t quite sure how we were going to continue working together and building that relationship, and with Shane coming in and wanting to have a Blackfoot naming ceremony for The Watch team, I thought ‘that’s a great way for us to all work together.’”

Blackwater stresses the importance of bringing police and Indigenous people together through ceremonies such as this one.

“For a while there that relationship between police and Indigenous communities there was a gap. With the Watch being engaged with the community downtown, it’s really played a huge role in bridging that gap, so having the Blackfoot name is a way of us sowing our respect.”

She says the elders were very supportive of giving a Blackfoot name to The Watch, as they dealt with many of their people on a daily basis.

The ceremony was led by Elder Morris Little Wolf and was accompanied by a pipe ceremony held in the LPS teepee.

Little Wolf spoke about the meaning of the name Bear Child Society as a show of respect from the people the Watch serves.

Kisinger says it was an honour to experience and be a part of this naming ceremony and believes having a Blackfoot name will help foster an environment for continuing reconciliation.

“I think Elder Little Wolf spoke to it as just respect and respecting the Blackfoot culture, respecting the Blackfoot people and respecting the Blackfoot people you’re dealing with. You’re respecting that we’re on Blackfoot traditional lands and all of that is the very nature of reconciliation.”

Watch members patrol the downtown area and help keep community members safe and provide information to residents and tourists alike everyday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. excluding statutory holidays.