Denise and Joe Get Married and this Time They Invite People

Doesn’t a traditional Blackfeet ceremony sound wonderful? I thought so too until I realized I had to memorize two pages of vows. In Blackfoot. And this wasn’t the cheater white wedding where you get to “repeat after me” with the officiant. We would each be flying solo. We practiced religiously. It took us the whole drive to Kalispell and back (3 hours) to memorize two lines. Yikes! We went to Kalispell a lot that summer.

We even videotaped our officiant, Keith Chiefmoon, speaking the vows, twice. By the wedding day, we had it down pat.

Joe was up first and was brilliant. Then it was my turn to say my vows on the pipe. That’s when I saw Joe’s mom and sisters crying behind him and realized that I could only recite my lines with my eyes closed! Well, that wouldn’t do. So, with a little prompting from Keith, Joe could throw the blanket over me.

Other than that laugh, it was a fantastic day. We had perfect weather, almost no wind, a good feast and a host of friends and relations to wish us well.
▲Joe aces his lines.

For those who couldn’t join us, you can see beautiful professional photos taken by my friend Peter on his website at www.picasaweb.google.com/pkbruce. The album is called Denise and Joe’s Wedding.

Here are a few of our vows. Simple, huh?

Oki nik sook oow wow akii

Niisto waan a koak [Denise or Joe]

Aamaok Onistaya Kopi oo tah koo inimaan

Nit aak it too ta tsa to waann amo Sik skoii, aah koo inimaan

Maahk taanist sihpii anohk ksii tsik oiihk

▲Denise prepares to smoke the pipe.