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Oki!
The Blackfoot people call themselves Niitsitapi, "the real
people". Their language, Blackfoot, or Niitsipussin ("the real
language"), falls under the Algonquian language family, along
with Ojibway, Micmac, and Cree.
Anthropological records hypothesize that, unlike the Cree
Peoples, the Blackfoot have a pre-contact history in the
southern part of what is now Alberta. They were divided into
three distinct groups: the Siksika (which translates to Black
Foot, after the Blackfoot custom of dying their moccasins
black), the Kainai (meaning Many Chiefs), also known as Bloods,
and the Peigan, or Piikani (Poor Robe). These tribes regarded
each other as allies, and together they formed the Blackfoot
Confederacy. Today, the groups together are known as the
Blackfoot Nation.
The Blackfoot Peoples lived (and many continue to live) in
structured and cohesive social units called bands, which were
made up of between 80 to 240 people. The bands were
well-organized culturally and politically, and the Niitsitapi
earned a reputation as ‘the Lords of the Great Plains’. Most of
the band units were egalitarian in structure, although leaders
could be chosen based on the situation. For example, a strong
hunter could become the leader of a hunt, but might not have
leadership in other areas. Overall, the movement of people
between different bands was fluid, as bands were defined by
place of residence rather than kinship ties. Movement of people
between bands often occurred as a result of marriage.
As was the case for other plains groups, the movement of the
Blackfoot Peoples across the land was dictated by buffalo. The
buffalo was central to life, and buffalo jumps, such as the one
still visible at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, were major
fixtures in the lives of the Blackfoot people. The importance of
the buffalo to past Aboriginal life at this site is still
visible today, buried in the layers of dust and dirt. Here,
thousands of buffalo bones have been found, among ancient burial
sites and remnants of tools, tipi rings, and other items
necessary for daily life. These remains serve as a testament to
the activity that took place here for hundreds of generations.
Independent and very efficient, the Blackfoot represented a
powerful hunting society in the time of the buffalo. They were
known for their strong military and political organization.
However, European contact had a large influence on almost all
aspects of traditional Blackfoot life. The introduction of the
horse brought with it many changes to agricultural and
transportation practices. Yet, the traditional ways of the
Blackfoot Peoples were not lost forever, and Blackfoot Elders
continue to pass on stories of the "Real People" to the younger
generations.
Sources:
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/blackfoot.html
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