On behalf of the Blood Tribe Administration, we send our heartfelt congratulations to Api’soomaahka (Running Coyote), William Singer III, as the recipient of the 2026 Lieutenant Governor’s Award.
Your dedication and commitment to your beautiful art, sharing of important cultural knowledge, and overall work to make our community a better place has inspired multiple generations to continue in lifelong learning about our Niitsitapi way of life.
This great recognition is well-deserved, and we join in celebrating a great Blood Tribe member, Api’soomaahka.
Blood Tribe Communications and Community Engagement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Api’soomaahka (Running Coyote) – William Singer III to Receive the 2026 Lieutenant Governor’s Award
August 24, 2026
Edmonton, Alberta – The Alberta Museums Association (AMA) is pleased to announce Api’soomaahka (Running Coyote) – William Singer III as the 2026 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award, in recognition of his profound commitment to artistic excellence and the preservation and vitality of Blackfoot culture.
A member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Api’soomaahka is an accomplished artist and illustrator with over 40 years of experience. His work is deeply grounded in the Blackfoot worldview and, shaped by his lived experience as a Residential School survivor, serves as a powerful force in preserving, revitalizing, and transmitting language, culture, and ecological knowledge. His work stands as a testament to his commitment not only to artistic excellence, but to the preservation and advancement of Blackfoot cultural identity.
Api’soomaahka’s work has had a significant and lasting impact through cultural and artistic initiatives across southern Alberta. His public art contributions at the University of Lethbridge embody Blackfoot language, worldview, and reconciliation. At Lethbridge Polytechnic, his work serves as a teaching tool rooted in traditional Blackfoot visual storytelling. His contributions are also reflected in projects and programming with the Galt Museum & Archives, the City of Lethbridge, and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, where he has strengthened public engagement, cultural interpretation, and community-based artistic learning. Through workshops, programming, and land-based initiatives, he continues to share knowledge of prairie plants and Blackfoot ecological teachings through an artistic and cultural lens, bridging artistic practice with cultural transmission and deeply influencing communities across Lethbridge.
At the provincial level, his work with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA), along with his contributions within emerging media platforms and post-secondary environments, has played a significant role in shaping evolving artistic sectors. While engaging with contemporary and technology-driven forms of artistic expression, his practice remains firmly rooted in the traditional foundations of Blackfoot culture. This ability to move seamlessly between innovation and tradition has enabled him to expand artistic practice in meaningful and transformative ways, reinforcing the continued relevance and strength of Indigenous art and cultural knowledge within modern and evolving creative fields.
“Api’soomaahka’s contributions to Alberta’s cultural sector demonstrate his lifelong commitment to the weaving together and strengthening of communities, artistic practices, and Blackfoot culture,” said Jennifer Forsyth, Executive Director / CEO.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award recognizes Api’soomaahka’s enduring contributions to art, culture, and community. We are pleased to present Api’soomaahka with the award at the Association’s 55th Anniversary Gala and Leadership Awards Ceremony presented by Know History on September 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre, held as part of the Alberta Museums Association’s 2026 Conference, The Adaptable Museum: Embracing Creative Stewardship for a Sustainable Future.
Background
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of an individual to Alberta’s museum community and their achievement in culture and heritage at the provincial, national, and / or international level. Recipients are nominated and selected by the AMA Secretariat and Board of Directors. For more information about the AMA Awards Program, please visit museums.ab.ca.
The Alberta Museums Association provides a variety of programs and services to over 500 museums and museum professionals across Alberta. Through its focus on community engagement, social responsibility, and sustainability, the AMA utilizes its funding, accreditation, awards, and professional development opportunities to support institutions in their vital role as leading contributors to the social, cultural, and educational fabric of Alberta. The AMA believes that museums can leverage their positions as trusted institutions to encourage respectful dialogue, provide educational opportunities, and bring awareness to some of society’s most pressing issues.
Contact: Alberta Museums Association 780.424.2626 [email protected] museums.ab.ca
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