ALIGN’s Winter Count Project: Acimowina – Teaching Stories

Six months before the AGM, we gathered in ceremony led by Elder Harley Crowshoe at Trellis Society, within Treaty 7 territory—the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy. This wasn’t just a meeting; it was a beginning. Elder Harley guided us in grounding our process in cultural protocol and spiritual intention. From that moment, the Winter Count became more than a project—it became a journey.

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What does it mean to mark time—not just with dates and deadlines, but with stories, relationships, and shared meaning?

At ALIGN’s AGM (Sept. 2025) we stepped into a powerful tradition rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing: the Winter Count. For many Plains Nations, including the Cree and Blackfoot, a Winter Count is a way of remembering the passing of each year through one defining story or event.

Traditionally, these stories were painted or etched onto buffalo hides, each symbol a visual anchor for oral histories passed down through generations. This year, ALIGN hosted its first annual Winter Count, and it was nothing short of transformative…

Visit ALIGN’s “Marking Time with Story: The Journey to ALIGN’s First Annual Winter Count” and learn more!

View The Winter Count

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