How to Say “White Man” in Blackfoot

By Will Levi • Updated October 4, 2026

naapiikoan

The English phrase "white man" is translated into Blackfoot as naapiikoan.

naapiikoan is used to refer to a person of European descent.

Did you know?

The term naapiikoan is derived from Naapi, a central trickster figure in Blackfoot mythology who is credited with creating the world and its people.
Using naapiikoan can sometimes carry a nuance of 'stranger' or 'outsider' depending on the context of the conversation.
Blackfoot is a polysynthetic language, meaning a single word like naapiikoan can contain as much information as a whole English sentence.

Example conversation

Robert and Sarah are talking about a new neighbor.

Robert

Naapiikoan kii-oxii iisoo.
A white man moved here.
Sarah

Ooxii-iitsiisikii?
Does he live alone?
Robert

Naapiikoan tsi-oxii-iitsiisikii.
The white man lives by himself.
Sarah

Kii-itsookii.
I see.

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About The Author

Will Levi

Hello there! I'm Will, your friendly neighbourhood guide on all things Cree. As an avid adventurer, I harbour a deep passion for the Cree language, evident in my comprehensive guides on expressing ourselves in this beautifully rich tongue. Whether you're learning how to say "Amen", "I love you, Mom" or even "White Woman", you're in good hands with me. When I'm not etching words in the Cree language, I'm usually chasing the "Moon" (ᐯᐦᑯᔭᐤ pîhkoya) into interesting new forests or paddling my "Canoe" (ᒋᒋᓂᐢ seeseenis) across quiet, serene lakes. Blackfoot is spoken not far from Cree, and it has become another language close to my heart, so you will now find my guides to Blackfoot here too. Join me on my linguistic-adventures. Awâsis ᐊᐋ wasis!

Will LeviHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.

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