DOCUMENT RESUME ED 060 971 RC 005 944 AUTHOR McLaughlin, G. R., Comp. TITLE Ethnology of the Blackfeet. INSTITUTION Browning School DiStrict 9, Mont. PUB DATE [7 NOTE 341p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$13-16 DESCRIPTORS *American Indians; Anthologies; Anthropology; *Cultural Background; *Ethnic Studies; Ethnolcg ; *High School Students; History; *Instructional Materials; Mythology; Religion; Reservations (Indian); Sociology; Values IDENTIFIERS *Blackfeet ABSTRACT Compiled for use in Indian history courses at the high-school level, this document contains sections on thehistory, culture, religion, and myths and legends of theBlackfeet. A guide to the spoken Blackfeftt Indian language andexamples of the language with English translations are also provided, asis information on sign language and picture writing. The constitutionand by-laws for the Blackfeet Tribe, a glossary of terms, and abibliography of books, films, tapes, and maps are also included. (IS) U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EOU CATION POSITION OR POLICY le TABLE OF CONTBTTS Introductio Acknowledgement-- Cover Page -- Pronunciation of Indian Names Chapter I - History A Generalized View The Early Hunters 7 8 The Foragers The Late Hunters - -------- ----- Culture of the Late Hunters - - - - ---------- --- ---- ---9 The plains Tribes -- ---- - ---- ------11 The BlaLkfeet in the EighteenthCentury - 13 17 The Blackfoot Group ---_--- --- 22 The Story of the BlackfootIndians-- From Pedestrians to Horsemen------- 29 . .31 Social Organization Blackfeet Societies - --- 32 At War and Peace withAmerican Fur 35 Traders, 1805-1855 ------38 The Bakermassacre- -- _-------- ----- -- -------- --- The Battle at Belly - 48 The Starvation Winter ofthe Piegan -- 52 Indians, 1883-1884 ...-55 Trading Land for a Living- - Treaty of 1855-- -- --- --------.---- --- 70 71 First Agency--Fort Benton-- - -- --73 Reservations in General Life on the Reservation-------------- - --- ------------76 Chapter II - Culture - ------82 Plains Culture------- -- ---- --- ---- A. Guide to the Spoken BlaekfeetIndian -- Language------ - - - -- --------------- Blackfeet Indian LanguageTranslated -------85 into English- -- ---- ------------ -- Language ----------------- - - - -.---88 sign Indian Names-- ---- ---- 109 Blackfoot Personal Names -110 _ - --------------------- - --112 Hunting Eagles-- ---- ----------- --- 114 -- - 121 The Plains Indians Fishing Wild Plants---------- -- ------- --- Preparation of Food -.122 Cooking of the Plains Indian 123 TheTipi--------- -- ----_------------- ------- - --- ,-----127 The Indian and His Horse--- - ---------------------- - - ---- 134 The Plains Indians T ols ----138 Art -141 The Indian and His Headdress---- 146 Games of the Indians 150 American Indian Dances- 154 Indian Medicine 161 Ceremonial Rites Over Indi:idual Patients ------------163 Material Medicari of Blackfoot ------- ----- 165 Marriage Customs 167 How an Indian Woman Leaves Her Husband----- 170 Superstitions - 171 Buffalo Stone - - -171 Chapter III - Religion Religion and - ------- - - - -------------173 Sun Dance Medicine Bundle Beaver Medicine - 180 Medicine Pipe r- 185 Painted Tepee---------------------- - - -- - ------ 188 Medicine Shield--- -192 Indian Burial--- - -195 Over the Rill 197 Crow Chief, Last Medicine Man -- ---- - -- 198 Ch pter IV - Indian War Stories War and Strategy 200 Three Suns' War Record -----204 Counting Coup - -210 A Duel Between a Kootenay and a 212 He Sang the Victory Song------------- - - - - - 213 Female Wax Chief of the Blackfeet 221 Chapter V - Indian Stories The Major's Blackfoot Bride----- -- ------------ - - - 226 Heavy Collar and the Ghost Woman-- - - -------- 235 Legend of Chief Mountain _ -- 241 An Indian Story; Running Fisher- - -- - - Origin of the Sacred Buffalo Horn 245 Chapter VI - Myths and Legends , concept of peace---_----- - ------- --- 247 Blackfoot Genesis ------249 Writing Stone- 253 How the Horse Cage to the Blackfeet ----- -- 255 The First Buffalo Stone 258 The Old Blackfoot -- -- 260 The White Buffalo 261 The Ghost Buffalo - 266 Napi Story------- -- The Stick Game - - 269 270 The Theft Prom the Sun ... .272 How the Raven Got HisColor Chapter VII - Conclusion Questions and Answers 273 276 Indian -- - - - 278 Popular Fallacies-,- - . .281 American State Names- - Did the Indian Live in 283 285 Indian and the Law- - - Who Holds Title to an Indian Reservation?--- -- ---- - -- ----- 291 civil Righte------ - ---- -..---- --- --- -----... 292 Constitution and By-Laws-------------------- 294 310 Glossary-- -- ------314 Bibliography 315 Books Available-- -- 317 Indian Movies Tapes Available---------- - - --- --- ----- - -- - 318 -------320 Maps Available Index.-- - - - -- ---- 321 ILLUSTRATIONS Piegan Frontier 28 Cree and Blackfeet Meeting 51 Starvation Winter, 1883..18E34 - - 54 Navajo, Creation of North Mountain - 69 Trade 72 Ground Plan of Blackfeet Agency 79 Blackfoot Lands in Montana.-..._. 80 Indiari Reorganization Act 81 Sign Language and Pictographs . 88 Pictograph of Blackfoot Names .. ...----------110.a Indian Hunting '-T- -111 Sustenance of Life---- =---- -117 Womans Work "Butchering the 118 119 Early . - ... Trapping 120 Dry Meat Racks 126 .Tipi Ring Sites 129 Moving Camp -130 Travois Travel 131 Blackfoot Travois for Dog and Horse 132 The Indian and the Horse -=- -133 Blackfoot Mauls 139 Blackfeet Medicine Pipe 139 Blackfe'et Hairbrush 140 Blackfeet Stone and Bone Knives -140 Crow Shields 144 Rawhide Parfleche 145 Blackfeet Painted Face, Headdress and, Necklace- 149 American Indian Dances -153 Animal:Dances -155 ........ Horse Tail Dance 156 War Dance- 157 Dance of the Dying Eagle 158 Owl Dance, -159 'Medicine Man -160 ..... Indian Medicine Counting Coup -199 -203 Scalp Lock-, The Victor' 209 *Fighting Indians of the West 211 INTRODUCTION Three years ago we decided tointroduce an Indian History course to the students ofBrowning High School, a predominabiy Indian School. This course was needed, we felt,because the history and culture of the Indian wasbeing lost by the "new" generation, When the first year course wasintroduced we found a woe- ful lack of material, specificmaterial, that is, where a high school student could find materialwithout researching many vol- umes. We decided to compile thematerial into one volume which could be used in classes such as ours. The students and myself, over a three year period,have attempted to put together one source of the history, culture,religion, legends, and stories of the Blackfoot Nation. The results you will find boundwithin. We do not pretend for this book tobe any great literary masterpiece. We hope you will find the materialenclosed as rewarding as we have in gaining a greatdeal of knowledge, and insight into the life of the "FirstAmerican." G. R. McLaughlin Instructor Classes_of 1969 and 1970 drowni PuAlk'Sc-hoo -rqe'r No. 9 Ecouor6 /lcri\l)(1- af tql 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMRNT In the compiling of the facts in this anthology manypeople were involved. Three years of students worked very diligently to gather as much information as possible. Some of them put in many extra hours; Ron Crawford, artist, Viney Kennedy,Sadi Ann Fisher Kyla Scarborough, Kathy McLaughlin, Frank and JimGlaze, Jessie Hall, Leonda Groff, Virgil Salway, artist, Pierre Pepion,artist, John Onstad, Don Oscarson, Dennis Juneau, Matthew AfterBuffalo, and Robert DeRosier are a few of the dedicated ones whodeserve special mention. Mary Grounds Peter Red Horn, Francis X Guardipee, Agnes Mad Plume, Dan and Ger ie Crawford gave us much valuableand authentic information. If our efforts and time contribute in a small way to the pre- servation of the Indian culture, our time has not been wasted. C. R. McLaughlin II THE BLACKFEET TRIBE The Blackfeet Nation is actually three tribes; the Pikuni or Piegan, the Kainah or Blood and the Siksika or Blackfeet proper. Most of the present enrollees on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana are Piegan. The three tribes lived as neighbors, spoke the same language, intermarried, and fought against common enemies. Their traditional enemy was the Shoshoni and they were constantly at war with them. PRONUNCIATION OF INDIAN NAMES 04 1 I Algonquian. ...al-gong ki-an / Arapaho. 0000000000 ......a-rap a-ho Assiniboine.............a-sin a-boin Bannock.. 0 ... 0000000 .ban uk CayUse000005600000000000kitls Cheyenne...0..0.m.....shi-en . A / Chickasaw...."00000chik a-so Chinook 00000000800808..chi-nook Chippewa...00000........ehip a-wa A s Coeur d'Alene."...-.Kok d-lan - Comanche.. ebi ,, / Gros Ventre. ............ gro vant to Hidatsa.................he-dat sa NO. il . , Iroquois................ir a-kwoi .0 /-= ... Kalispel................kal is pel Kiowa 0 0 . 0 ..... 0 00008000 .ki a-wa __ / e -. Kutenai...... ....... ..koo te-na ..../.4 / / Nez Peree .. 0 0 . 0 .. 00000..Na per sa Ojibway.0 ...............o-jib wa Paiute0000.00.0.........pi-oot *4= ..pe-gan Sahaptian. 0000000000000 0sahap ti-an ../ .0 Salish 00000000000000000 .sa lish -# -, Shoshoni................sho-,sho ne ... S1OUX000000000000000000 0500 ...... 1 0 1j Umatilla. 000000000000000U ma-til a Washakie..... ...........wosn a-*.,_ e YakiMa00000000000000000 0yak 1.111.0 CHAPTER I - HISTORY A Generalized View The Early Hunters The Foragers The Late Hunters Culture of the Late Hunters The Plains Tribes The Algonkian Family The Blackfeet in the 18th Century