In the words of the late Blackfoot Elder, Andy Black Water: "All of our being is connected, spiritually and physically, to our homelands." I created these pieces to highlight the interconnection of all living things with a focus on the relationship between the Buffalo and human beings, for the integral parts they play within the status of their ecosystem’s health. They are what biology refers to as “keystone species”, organisms that help hold the ecosystem together. The layout for these pieces take inspiration from Blackfoot lodge designs. There are usually 3 elements that are expressed within a lodge design: 1) Earth, 2)Animals/Spirit Guides, and 3) the Sky/Universe, which all play integral roles within Blackfoot ways of knowing. Lodge designs help to express the owner’s dreams, their connection to the land or the feats they’ve accomplished throughout their lives. Rudy Black Plume/Iitsikiitsapoyii (Standing On Top Alone) is an artist and educator from the Kainai Nation within the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksikaitsitapi). Rudy’s art is rooted in her love for the Niitsitapi culture and draws inspiration from Blackfoot ways of knowing. Her art practice is reflective of her experiences as a Blackfoot person living in a world that lacks representation of Indigenous stories and worldviews. Black Plume believes that representation is crucial to our lived experience, as it helps to shape how we envision ourselves and how we are perceived by others. Rudy hopes that her work helps Indigenous peoples to feel validated in their existence and inspires all peoples to continue to learn more about Indigenous cultures, histories, and ways of knowing. She believes art and creativity can broaden perspectives, bring people together, and heal our spirits.