Let's hear it for Blackfeet Nation!!

[smtpgirl]

History: The Blackfoot were a powerful buffalo-hunting society of the northern plains. At first the arrival of the Europeans pleased them, since European horses became quickly invaluable to the Blackfoot tribes. Unfortunately, things took several turns for the worse. Smallpox epidemics ravaged the Blackfoot population in the mid-1800's (there is evidence that some white settlers may have deliberately helped it along by selling infected blankets). In 1870 American army forces, looking for Mountain Chief's band of hostile Blackfoot Indians, fell instead upon Heavy Runner's peaceable Piegan band and killed 200 of them, many of them women and children. (Mountain Chief and his people escaped across the new border into Canada.) Worse than any of this, by 1900, the white settlers had wiped out the buffalo herds. Hundreds of Blackfoot Indians starved to death, and the forced transition to sedentary life left a once-mighty nation dependent on government rations. Nevertheless, in the face of these travails the Blackfoot have not lost their culture, and the Blackfoot Indian language is one of the few indigenous languages in Canada and the United States which has a good chance for survival.


Located in western Montana, the Piegans, or Pikuni branch of the Blackfeet (Blackfoot) Confederacy is the southernmost group of Blackfeet (Blackfoot) Indians. The other two branches, the Siksika and the Kainah or Blood, are residents of Canada. In Canada, the singular term "Blackfoot" is preferred, the Pikuni are always referred to in the plural "Blackfeet". The Pikuni, which means "poorly dressed", occupy a reservation of 937,838 acres straddling the border with Canada and abutting Glacier National Park. Their reservation was established in 1855.

The term "Blackfeet" comes from their habit of dyeing their moccasins black. In a rare occurrence, the reservation assigned to the Blackfeet in Montana coincides with their traditional homelands, though greatly reduced in size (ENAT, 31-33).

The Blackfeet capital is in the town of Browning, which acts as the eastern gateway to Glacier National Park, affording the many visitors to the park a chance to see the Blackfeet's heritage and flag. Browning serves as home to the "Museum of the Plains Indians" (NAA, 36-43).

The Blackfeet were known for their beautiful craftwork - their tepees, clothing, weapons and riding equipment were of exceptional design. Their warbonnets, one of which appears on the flag, were unique in that the feathers stood straight up. Many examples of the art of the Blackfeet can be found in the "Museum of the Plains Indian".

The flag, which is not used extensively, is a medium blue and bears at the hoist a ceremonial lance or coup stick, having 29 eagle feathers attached (sample flag provided by Elmer's Flag & Banner, Portland, OR).

In the center is a ring of 32 white and black eagle feathers surrounding a map of the reservation. On this appears a warbonnet and the name of the tribe in English and in the Algonquin based native tongue of the Blackfeet. All items appearing in the center are white with black edging and black lettering.

My thanks to various Blackfoot/Blackfeet members for explaining the terminology and naming conventions that are employed by the verious Confederacy members.

[OzarkDem]

1. I've traveled through their reservation

If you take the Amtrak Empire Builder, it crosses the reservation. Beautiful land, and lovely communities with the most colorful homes I've seen.

I'm descended from the Cherokee and the Chickasha nations, and I salute you!

BTW, I was researching old census records of Native American nations in the southeast US and could not help but notice the extremely large numbers of members of the Creek Nation from SE US who had the last name of ...COLBERT!

[smtpgirl]

4. My grandmother's Indian ancestors were from Canada,

I stand corrected, I should call myself a Blackfoot.

She was 1/2 French too, I believe she was French-Canadian

[evlbstrd]

2. I designed and typeset a book about the art of the Blackfeet.

It was commissioned by Bob Scriver of Browning, MT. His father (or grandfather? Hell, I have the book here, I could look) was granted the first license trade with them. He amassed an enormous collection of trade blankets, shirts, dresses, moccasins, belts, war clubs and everything else they made. The bead work is unbelievable. It was the most interesting project I worked on. Man, I miss publishing.

[riverwalker]

3. more info here

Thanks!!

http://www.blackfoot.org/

<Oki Ni-kso-ko-wa: (Hello, greetings my relative):

We are members of the ancient line of Blackfoot people going back before time. We are the traditional believers in our ancient ways that were given to us by iits-tsi-pah-ta-pii-op - the Source of Life. We are not members of any other organization or political party. We do not espouse any "ism" and have pledged our lives to live by our old ways and beliefs. We are, however, alive in the modern age and we use the technology of the present era to educate relatives, our friends and ourselves worldwide. Welcome to our web site. We invite you to come back often. We have many interesting educational, and, spiritual gifts to offer you and your family. Please explore our web site.>

[peacetalksforall]

5. I enjoyed that. Thanks.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. Thanks! nt

[graywarrior]

7. My friend, Jesse Redhorse, decendent of Blackfoot heritage.

And great native flute player.

[patrice]

8. Yeah! You're "hearing" from me.

I would be proud to be an indigenous American, proud to have that cultural heritage.

It may not be "pure" Native American culture, but I was really into Don Coldsmith last Summer. I loved the amount of detail and character in his stories. Coldsmith is a Kansas author. Have you ever heard of him? If so, what do you think of him?

[bahrbearian]

9. K&R

[smtpgirl]

10. Thank you all for the K&R's

I do appreciate it.

A proud American (Indian)