The lives and well-being of animals and humans are closely connected. The Blackfoot have many origin stories telling them how animals not only present themselves as food but also to gift the people with teachings how to live good sustained lives as part of healthy communities that include the more-than-human kin in addition to human beings. To this day, the Blackfoot annually enact ceremonies like the Beaver Bundle Opening to honour those gifts from the animals and renew their close relationships. The ceremonies are ritualised community events that require rigorous studies and skill-building on the parts of the hosts. Becoming a ceremonialist equals doing a doctorate degree in the Western world.