Blackfeet Nation Hosts Thousands to Honor Lily Gladstone in Historic “Lily Gladstone Day”

By Darren Thompson

Lily Gladstone receives a stand-up headdress, an honor only esteemed by Blackfeet women, at the Blackfeet Nation’s “Lily Gladstone Day” on Tuesday, March 26. Thousands attended Gladstone’s honoring from many parts of the United States and Canada. Photo courtesy of Pikuni Press Facebook.

Browning, MT—On Tuesday March 26, the Blackfeet Nation hosted “Lily Gladstone Day” at its new $9 million, 5,500 capacity multi-culture center in Browning, where Gladstone spent part of her youth. Gladstone is the first American Indian person to win a Golden Globe for best actress and the first to be nominated for best actress at the Oscar’s for playing Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”.

Tuesday’s event included a grand entry, flag songs, opening prayer, words from Blackfeet tribal leaders, an honor song, round dance, and a Stand-Up Headdress ceremony—which is a unique style of headdress predominantly made and worn by Blackfeet women. Many leaders thanked Gladstone for representing the Blackfeet Nation and for being a positive role model for young people, especially young girls.

“I love all of you,” Gladstone said while in tears at Tuesday's event. “It’s amazing to be here.”

Gladstone shared her parent’s journey to moving to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, just two weeks before the tribe's annual North American Indian Days in 1986 and that her parents wanted her to spend part of her life there. Her father is Blackfeet and Nez Perce, and her mother is Dutch and Cajun.

“This is really a full circle moment," Gladstone said. She also spoke towards youth, mentioning that hard work does pay off. “I feel so lucky and so blessed that I’m Blackfeet,” she said.

During her acceptance speech on Sunday, January 7, 2024 for Best Actress for the Golden Globes, she spoke in Blackfeet and said in her Blackfeet language, “Hello my relatives. My name is Eagle Woman. I come from the Blackfeet Confederacy.

She used the opportunity to highlight the importance of her win and said in English, “This is a historic win. It doesn’t belong to just me. I’m holding it with all of my beautiful sisters. And this is for every little Rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented in our stories, told by ourselves, in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust.”

The highlight of the day's ceremony was the transfer of the headdress, a ceremony hosted only by the Blackfeet people from woman to woman. The headdress differs from what Blackfeet people call a Sioux-style headdress in that the feathers stand straight up, instead of loosely. The headdress was dreamed into existence by a Blackfeet woman generations ago and the headdress continues to be transferred or exchanged among Blackfeet women.

“They’re [stand-up headdresses] earned," said Siksika Chief Ouray Crowfoot said during the transfer ceremony.

Today, the Kaa-poi-saam-iiksi—the Women’s Stand-up Headdress Society—has dozens of members in both Canada and the United States. After the transfer of her headdress, she received a standing ovation. Then, everyone lined up to meet her and posed for pictures.

Kristen Upham-McIntyre, Blackfeet and Cree, drove 11 hours from Puyallup, Washington to attend Lily Gladstone’s honoring. A snowstorm dropped 12 inches of snow just two days prior to the “Lily Gladstone Day” Upham-McIntyre said of her expedition to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northern Montana to LRI Media.

Upham-McIntyre said Gladstone’s honoring was like “Indian Days”. “People came in from everywhere and were packing the Arbor,” she said. “Everyone was so excited to see Lily and she was so gracious and kind.”

“She met everyone, and she did with a smile and gratitude to everyone she met,” said Upham-McIntrye of Gladstone. “I was in awe of her ability to not get short with anyone.”

North American Indian Days is the Blackfeet Nation’s annual four-day celebration held in Browning and is one of the largest gatherings in Indian Country. This year, the tribe celebrates it’s 70th annual North American Indian Days and is expected to attract tens of thousands of people from the United States, Canada and beyond.

Angela Howe drove 400 miles from the Crow Reservation with her mother to witness Gladstone’s honoring and said in an interview with LRI Media that Gladstone’s celebration was better than the Oscars. “I drove 6 hours so I could attend Lily Gladstone Day with my mom, my brother and my Blackfeet relatives,” she said. “I got to meet Lily and when I went to shake her hand, she recognized me and gave me a big hug and told me she is a fan of MY WORK!”

Howe is a renowned fashion designer who owns Choke Cherry Creek. While Gladstone hasn't showcased Choke Cherry Creek’s designs on the red carpet yet, her Killers of the Flower Moon co-star Janae Collins has for the premier of the film at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Collins recently walked for Howe at the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s Reservation Economic Summit (RES) 2024 Fashion Show at the Omnia Nightclub at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas.

“What a special moment, it's so inspiring, she encouraged us all to keep following our dreams,” Howe said. “Many good words were spoken in our language today and there is nothing like a celebration at home to honor an extraordinary woman, our hearts are full.”

Barbara Jadis-Bruised Head, a Abegweit First Nation citizen in Prince Edward Island, Canada, traveled two hours from the Blood Tribe, Kainai First Nation in Alberta, Canada to attend Lily Gladstone’s honoring. “I felt excited and honoured to be in her [Lily Gladstone] presence,” she said of attending the ceremony in Browning.

Barbara’s husband Mike Bruised Head conducted Gladstone’s prayer for the feast after her headdress ceremony. Bruised Head will also be speaking at Gladstone’s Honorary Doctorate ceremony at the University of Montana on Sunday, May 11, 2024.

Later this spring, Gladstone will be presented an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Montana, her alma mater. People are already anticipating planning her celebration.