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| | From:  Annie-LL (Original Message) | Sent: 2/12/2006 9:43 PM |
| The Blackfoot Confederacy consists of four different tribes, the Pikuni/Peigan, North Peigan Pikuni, Blood/Kainai, and Blackfoot/Siksika. Members of the Blackfoot Confederation presently live in Montana, the United States and Alberta, Canada. When the Canadian government/British Crown sought to enter into a treaty with the Niitsitapi (the Real People), they made initial contact with the Siksika who lived on the north and northeastern frontiers of Niitsitapiskaku. They made the wrong assumption that all Niitsitapi were Blackfoot. The Niitsitapi are Ahpikuni (Peigan), Southern Ahpikuni (Montana Blackfeet), Ahkainah (Bloods) and Siksika (Blackfoot).
LANGUAGE:
The language of the Niitsitapi is Niitsipussin (the Real Language). Some differences in phraseology occurs among the Niitsitapi but essentially, the language is the same.
HISTORY:
The Blackfoot migrated to their present territory from the northern Great Lakes Region. They were nomadic buffalo hunters. The Blackfoot were first introduced to horses in 1730 when the Shoshoni attacked them on horseback. After this, they obtained their own horses through trade with the Flathead, Kutenai and Nez Perce. They also traded buffalo hides, horses, and guns with settlers as far away as the east coast. However, by the winter of 1884, the buffalo were nearly extinct and many Blackfoot starved. They were forced to depend upon the Indian Agency for food.
The word "tribe" connotates a lack of cohesive political, cultural and social structure which definitely does not apply to the Niitsitapi. In fact, the cohesive structure was the very reason that the Niitsitapi achieved cultural, political and military predominance making them "the Lords of the Great Plains." They were a Nation of people united by a common language, culture and religion living in a country with borders recognized by other First Nations. When the Canadian federal government entered into negotiations with Crowfoot, the Siksika political leader, he had to consult the other Niitsitapi leaders as he was being asked by the government to negotiate matters affecting all Niistitapi. As leader of the Siksika and not the entire Niitsitapi, he couldn't do so without the consent of the other leaders.
In 1870, one of the worse slaughters of Indians by American troops occurred, known as the Marias Massacre. On the morning of Jan. 23, two hundred Peigans were killed, most of them women, children, and elderly. The Peigans were a friendly tribe, not the hostile camp that the troops were supposed to attack. However, the commander had permission to use his judgment and attack the Peigans and punish them for things they may be guilty of in the past or future. After the massacre, the troops left to find their real target, but it was too late as the hostile tribe had moved. | | | | | | | | DAILY LIFE:
The Blackfoot were a nomadic people who followed the buffalo. It's difficult to lead a nomadic lifestyle when there is no place to go. The Niitsitapi were hemmed in by other First Nations. In addition, the different Niitsitapi had claim to areas within Niitsitapiskaku, for instance, the Siksika couldn't infringe on Ahkainah territories as the Ahkainah lived there. Their territory once covered an areas from Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta to the Yellowstone River, and from the Rocky Mountains to the present day North Dakota border.
The most important event of the year was the Sundance Festival, or the Medicine Lodge Ceremony, which was celebrated with other Plains Indians tribes. An important religious area for the Blackfoot is the Badger-two Medicine area. This area was lost in 1895 to the U.S. government in a treaty which was poorly translated to the Blackfoot.
BEST KNOWN FEATURE:
Head-Smashed-In is a hill site in southwestern Alberta. The Blackfoot used it for hundreds of years. It is known as a very spiritual place to the tribe. It has been around for approximately 7,000 years. | |
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| | | THE PEOPLE:
Early legends tell the story of a Blackfoot who visited a Kainaiwa camp. He asked "Who is the Chief here?" When the men nearby heard this question, they all answered "I am." The Blackfoot then stated, "I will call you the Tribe of Many Chiefs." This was how they received the name Kainai (from Aka - "many" and Nina - "chief"). The current chief of the Kainaiwa Nation is Chief Chris Shade. With reference to the name "Blood", this was the name given to them from the first traders as a result of the Red Ochre, which they used on their faces and ceremonial objects. Early in the 1800's, the Kainaiwa lived and hunted primarily in southern and southeastern Alberta, and in northern Montana. Although at that time there were non man-made boundaries, the favourite hunting places for the Kainaiwa were in the region of the Hand Hills near Drumheller, in the Sweetgrass Hills regions, and in the present Lethbridge district. Some of their best wintering grounds were along the Belly River, the Highwood River, and for the northern bands, along the Battle River. | | | | | | | | PIIKANI (PEIGAN) NATION
LOCATION :
The Piikani Nation is located along Highway #3 midway between the towns of Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek. Brocket townsite is located on the reserve along the highway. THE PEOPLE:
The Piikani, by themselves, were the smallest Blackfoot Tribe to sign Treaty 7, though with the Blackfeet Tribe in the neighboring State of Montana, they form the largest tribe of the Blackfoot Nation. The current chief of the Piikani Nation is Chief Peter Strikes With A Gun. When the Piikani signed the Treaty, they asked for "the Oldman River, the Porcupine Hills, and Crow Creeks" to be their home base, as these were their favorite wintering areas which provided a good base to hunt buffalo. When the buffalo began to disappear, the Piikani were encouraged to go to their new reserve to learn agriculture and become farmers. However, agriculture was not favored because of the climate. Instead, they channeled their energies towards ranching and their success as ranchers is still in evidence today. The arrival of missionaries in 1879 also introduced many significant changes to the Piikani lifestyle. Over the years, the Piikani continued to be a quiet independent people who were not afraid to try new ideas, for example, they were the first band in Alberta to demand a vote in provincial elections, the first to allow liquor onto a reserve, the first to assume administration of their reserve, and the first to host Indian Day Celebrations as a means of retaining and maintaining their culture. The Piikani also speak the Blackfoot language as do their fellow Blackfoot Tribes. The Piikani continue to strive for self-determination and economic independence for present and future generations. They have established business ventures to create employment for bank members, and in 1986, took control of their education by establishing and building a high school as an addition to the existing elementary school on the reserve. | | | BLACK LODGE SINGERS
The Black Lodge Singers of White Swan, Washington are one of the most respected pow-wow groups in North America. Headed by Kenny Scabby Robe of the Blackfeet, the Black Lodge Singers are largely drawn from his twelve sons. In demand as a host drum at pow-wows around the United States and Canada, Black Lodge has released twenty albums for Canyon Records including an album of pow-wow songs composed specifically for children. They also contributed tracks to Ancestral Voices, a 1994 Grammy Awards finalist by R. Carlos Nakai and William Eaton. Several of the Black Lodge Singers are noted for their prolific songmaking, each year creating new pow-wow songs that quickly become popular throughout the pow-wow circuit.
| | SIKSIKA NATION
LOCATION
Siksika Nation is located one hour's drive east of the city of Calgary, and three kilometres south of the Trans Canada Highway #1. The Administrative and Business district are strategically located adjacent to the Town of Gleichen to accommodate visitor traffic.
THE PEOPLE
Siksika has a total population of approximately 4,200 members. Siksika are a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy which also consists of the Piikani and Kainaiwa of southern Alberta and the Blackfeet in the State of Montana.
The Siksika Nation is governed by a chief and twelve councillors, all of whom are elected by members for two-year terms. The current chief of the Siksika Nation is Strater Crowfoot. The Siksika Nation is in the process of developing a framework for self-government which will define and control the Nation's own destiny, and remove it from jurisdiction of The Indian Act which was legislated into force by the Canadian Government in 1876.
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