Bert Crowfoot is a digital storyteller with an intuitive eye developed over the past 45 years.
Bert is founder and CEO of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA), General Manager of CFWE-FM, an northern Alberta Indigenous radio network, CJWE- a southern Alberta-wide Indigenous radio network and CIWE-Fm (The Raven 89.3) an Indigenous radio station serving the Edmonton area.
He has published several publications, including Windspeaker (an national Indigenous news magazine), Alberta Sweetgrass, Saskatchewan Sage, Ontario Birchbark and Windspeaker Business Quarterly. Those publications have evolved into the news service called Windspeaker.com.
AMMSA is Canada’s largest publisher of Indigenous news and information and a recognized leader in Indigenous communications in North America.
Bert's many honors over the years include: a Lifetime Achievement Award from the province of Alberta; Venture Magazine’s “50 Most Influential Individuals in Alberta” (2004); Venture Magazines “100 Entrepreneurs who built Alberta” (2005); nominated to CBC’s Alberta 100 list (2005) and inducted into the Aboriginal Walk of Honor in Edmonton (2006). coached Team Alberta women's softball at the 1993 Canada Summer Games.
Bert is the great great grandson of Chief Crowfoot who signed Treaty 7. He has two Indian names. His Siksika name is “Kiyo Sta’ ah” or Bear Ghost, and his Kwakwaka‘wakw name is “Gayutalas” or Always Giving. He was adopted by the Kwakwaka‘wakw at a potlatch in 2008 by Chief Adam Dick.
Bert’s Siksika/Saulteaux cultural roots give him the inspiration to record and to preserve many spiritual practices with different nations. Known for recording Indigenous events and cultural knowledge throughout North America, his travels always take him to new levels of perception.
Bert's photographic images are taken with a highly respectful and sacred awareness of the protocols, sanctity and supernatural forces that are present in Indigenous spiritual rituals, nature and life. As part of this awareness, he believes these spiritual images are gifts to be shared with present and future generations to bear witness to the power of the Indigenous ways of life. Most of Bert's work is for sale with the exception of spiritual imagery.