Piikani Trail: Ohkanaomowoo
Piikani Trail: Ohkanaomowoo is a winter trail at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center. Ohkanaomowoo is a Piikani (Blackfeet) word meaning “Gather Together from All Over.” Crosscut works to create a welcoming place for folks to gather and create community.
This trail name honors the Piikani people who historically hunted and gathered in the Bridger Mountains and Gallatin Valley and their descendants who feel deep connection to the land. It was named in collaboration with Dr. Kim Paul the executive director of the Piikani Lodge Health Institute and a long-standing member of Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet traditional societies and ceremony.
The Piikani Lodge Health Institute (PLHI) is an Indigenous-founded and led nonprofit organization focused on promoting the health and well-being of Amskapi Piikani people and lands. Crosscut and PLHI have collaborated since 2020 to support PLHI’s Ssto Ipapoki Tsimaan program.
Ssto Ipapoki Tsimaan means “Winter Movement'' in Piikani language and is the name of the PLHI’s winter family wellness program which aims to get families on the land in every season. PLHI staff have visited Crosscut, and Crosscut staff have had the honor of visiting PLHI staff in Browning, Montan and participating in the Ssto Ipapoki Tsimaan program.
Photos from Crosscut staff visit to Browning in 2024 to participate in the Piikani Lodge Health Institute’s Ssto Ipapoki Tsimaan (“Winter Movement”) program.