Kurt Blind

I am Kurt Blind, I am Nehiyaw (Plains Cree), from George Gordon First Nation. My traditional lands are located in the Treaty 4 region, and I am grateful for the opportunity to live, work, play, study and heal on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy. I recently received my Blackfoot name, li yi kit tah pii (Courageous Person) from Elder Miiksiikam (Clarence Wolfleg Sr).

I was born in 1968.I attended Gordon Indian Residential School 1974-1984. I left George Gordon’s in 1984, rarely going back to my traditional lands out of shame, fear, anger and resentment. At age 15 I moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and began experimenting with substance misuse.

I graduated high school and began experiencing active addiction to alcohol and drugs. After high school I became a street worker to feed my addiction.



After nearly 35 years of living in addiction, on October 28, 2018, I began the withdrawal process from psychoactive substances.

In September 2020, I enrolled in the Addiction Studies Diploma Program at Bow Valley College. In June 2023 I will graduate with a 3.80 GPA and represent the School of Community Studies as their valedictorian.

I am a person who is grateful to be in recovery from addictions. I contribute my healing journey to my spirituality, reconnection to my Nehiyaw/Plains Cree and Blackfoot traditions and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Today, I am 4 years, 7 months sober. I have used the SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) program and use parts of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step program in my recovery journey.

I look forward to sharing knowledge with you as we walk this Great Circle of Life together.