The Firekeeper Alliance Origin Story
At the Firekeeper Alliance, we love stories. Oral traditions are a part of the fabric of the Indigenous communities that have shaped us. Stories situate our values and our intimate ties to the land. We pass down important elements of our history, culture, and ways of being through stories.
The story of how we came to be is not an easy one to tell. To be direct, we have lost countless friends and relatives to suicide over the years. We realized we needed to do everything we could to make our community and loved ones safer from this devastating outcome. In the summer of 2024, after some reflection and brainstorming about how we might be able to make a difference, we went all in and formed this organization. Our mission is to promote factors that will offer protection and strength to ward off suicidal distress. We aim to help our loved ones decide to keep fighting to stay alive.
Our name comes from the traditional role of the ceremonial firekeeper, whose job was vital to survival in Indigenous communities. It was their job to ensure the sacred and ceremonial flames continued burning. While the firekeeper tended the fire, it was the job of the entire community to gather the fuel to sustain it. Oftentimes this required individuals to venture out into the cold and darkness to find wood. Even during the worst storms, the firekeeper needed to keep working to ensure the flames did not extinguish. This lore, in essence, is the same spirit that fuels our mission. Continue fighting. Keep the sacred flame of life burning bright. No matter what.
We are a collective of clinicians, educators, public health advocates, ancestral language experts, legal minds, musicians, and genuinely passionate humans all united by the desire to make the Blackfeet Nation and other Tribal communities in Montana safer from suicide.
At Firekeeper, we are also avid heavy music lovers, which is why we decided to partner with Fire in the Mountains in our mission to combat this issue. Music and the expressive arts have provided us with endless inspiration and coping ability. We aim to weave these themes together with targeted counseling opportunities, community advocacy, and other evidence based interventions to ensure our friends and relatives in Montana’s Indigenous communities are as protected from suicide as possible.
We know we are not alone in being profoundly impacted by suicide losses. Together, as an alliance, we believe we are stronger to make a positive impact. Our drive to be a force for change has never been stronger.
Please join us in the important work that lies ahead. Keep the fire burning.
