The Blackfoot Indians were a nation of American Indians with four distinctive tribes, one in Montana and the other in Alberta, Canada. Fierce buffalo hunters, this nomadic tribe followed their food source. With no experience in pottery, crafts or agriculture, they relied on the land. While natural food sources and small subsidized, the buffalo were their main source of food, clothing, shelter, tools and weapons.
Native Americans have incredibly profound and fascinating beliefs, many of them involving wolves. To several tribes (past and present), the wolf itself is known as a protective spirit or totem. They view the wolf as a wise fellow hunter to be respected and admired. In spite of what some Twilight fans think, Stephenie Meyer wasn’t. Dreamcatchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the Ojibway (Chippewa) tribe. Ojibway people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame-in a somewhat similar pattern to how they tied webbing for their snowshoes-and hang this 'dream-catcher' as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. Origin of the Dream Catcher Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island. This is the way that the old Ojibwe storytellers say how Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) helped Wanabozhoo bring giizis (sun) back to the people.
Without modern weapons, the Blackfoot Indians would herd the buffalo into a enclosedarea where they could not escape. A corral, called a pis'kin, was built belowthe edge of a perpendicular cliff and enclosed with they natural surroundingsof the land. The Blackfoot Indians used a medicine man to coerce the buffaloto follow him towards the pis'kin. The other warriors formed a V, also knownas a chute, hiding behind trees and rocks. Once the buffalo were close enough,they would jump out chanting and waving their robes, startling the buffalo enoughto run along the rocks. They fell and were pushed into the pis'kin below, breakingtheir legs, necks, and backs as they went down the embankment. Once in the corralthey were killed by the arrows of the Indians.
The men of the Blackfoot Indians were completely free from the times theycould walk. The women of the tribes were treated as slaves. They had no freedomsfrom the time they were born until their deaths they answered to someone. Theywere often mutilated and murdered for trivial offenses against the husband. Whenthe man dies, his wives are given to his oldest brother. All material belongsare given to the sons and brothers.
The Blackfoot tribes slowly died off from starvations as the buffalo herdsgrew scarce. The died from disease as the Europeans moved into their lands. Todaythe surviving heirs still live on much of the Montana land they had long ago.
Blackfoot Indian Tribe Dream Catcher
