Who Are the Blackfoot?
The Blackfoot (Siksikaitsitapi, "Blackfoot-speaking real people") are a Plains Indian confederacy numbering approximately 35,000—divided between the US (Blackfeet Nation in Montana, 17,000 enrolled) and Canada (Siksika, Piikani, Kainai First Nations in Alberta, 18,000). They speak Blackfoot, an Algonquian language. The Blackfoot Confederacy dominated the northwestern Plains for centuries—their territory stretched from the North Saskatchewan River to the Missouri, from the Rockies to present-day Saskatchewan. Master buffalo hunters and warriors, the Blackfoot fiercely resisted European-American expansion until the buffalo's destruction forced reservation confinement.
Buffalo People
Blackfoot culture centered entirely on the buffalo (iinnii). Before horses (acquired c. 1730), they hunted using drives and jumps—Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (Alberta) was used for 5,500+ years. Horses transformed Plains life; the Blackfoot became supreme horsemen. Every part of buffalo served purpose: meat for food, hides for tipis and clothing, bones for tools, sinew for thread. The annual Sun Dance (Okan) was central ceremony, bringing bands together. Society organized through warrior societies, age grades, and women's societies. Generosity, bravery, and spiritual power defined prestige. This buffalo-centered world ended with catastrophic speed.
Resistance and Loss
The Blackfoot successfully resisted European incursion longer than most Plains peoples. They controlled fur trade access to the Northwest, warred against neighboring tribes, and intimidated early American expeditions. But whiskey trade, smallpox epidemics (especially 1837, 1869-70), and the deliberate extermination of buffalo (1870s-1880s) destroyed their independence. The buffalo, numbering 30+ million, were reduced to hundreds within a decade. Starving Blackfoot signed treaties (1855 US, 1877 Canada) ceding most territory. The 1883-84 "Starvation Winter" killed hundreds of Blackfeet in Montana. Confinement to reservations/reserves followed.
Reservation Era
Reservation/reserve life brought poverty, disease, and cultural suppression. Children were sent to distant boarding schools; ceremonies were banned; traditional governance was undermined. The Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and Canadian reserves remain among poorest communities in their respective countries. Oil and gas development brought some revenue but also exploitation and environmental damage. Yet Blackfoot culture survived: the Sun Dance continued (often secretly during prohibition); language persisted among elders; warrior tradition found expression in military service. Revitalization efforts began mid-20th century.
Contemporary Blackfoot
Modern Blackfoot nations pursue cultural revival and economic development. Language programs combat decline (fewer than 3,000 speakers remain). The Sun Dance and other ceremonies are practiced openly. Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park (Alberta) and Museum of the Plains Indian (Montana) preserve heritage. Head-Smashed-In is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Economic development includes gaming, tourism, and natural resource management. Cross-border cooperation (Canada-US) addresses the artificial division of Blackfoot people. Reclaiming buffalo—through conservation programs on both sides—symbolizes cultural recovery. How Blackfoot navigate poverty, maintain culture, and rebuild nationhood shapes these Plains people's future.
References
- Ewers, J. C. (1958). The Blackfeet: Raiders on the Northwestern Plains
- Dempsey, H. A. (2001). Firewater: The Impact of the Whisky Trade on the Blackfoot Nation
- Hungry Wolf, A. (1977). The Blood People: A Division of the Blackfoot Confederacy