blackfoot

Truth and consequences on the reservation–the Elouise Cobell story

Elouise Cobell on the Blackfeet Reservation

Elouise Cobell (Yellow Bird Woman) heard the stories for years: the government was cheating Native Americans on payments for land rights. She took up the cause, and now the Blackfoot Indians are poised to reap billions. In Blackfoot country, passing down stories from one generation to the next is an intricate part of tribal culture. The people who live here at the foot of the Montana Rockies pride themselves on the accuracy of this oral tradition. In the spring, when…

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The Blackfoot Language: A Window into the Culture and History of the Blackfoot People

Blackfoot language territory map and flags

The Blackfoot language is a member of the Algonquian language family and is spoken by the Blackfoot people in North America. It is an indigenous language that is predominantly spoken in Alberta, Canada, and also in Montana, USA. The Blackfoot language has two main dialects: Siksika and Kainai. It is an endangered language with only a few thousand speakers remaining, mainly elderly people.

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Blackfeet / Blackfoot Subdivisions and Bands

The Blackfeet / Blackfoot tribes were divided into the following divisions: The Siksika or Blackfeet proper, occupying the northern part of their territory; the Kainah or Bloods south of the preceding, and the Peigan or Piegan, south of the Kainah, the one best represented in the United States. Here is a chart of the bands that made up each division.

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