SIKSIKA INDIANS IN CANADA

SIKSIKA ARE CALLED BLACKFEET INDIANS (ENGLISH TRANSLATION). THEY WORE DARK COLORED MOCCASINS. THEY LIVE IN MONTANA, IDAHO, AND ALBERTA. THEY HAVE THREE BANDS IN CANADA EACH WITH ITS OWN RESERVATION THAT THEY OWN. EACH IS LIKE A SMALL COUNTRY.

IN THE PAST IT WAS LEAD BY A COUNSEL OF CHIEFS, FROM EACH CLAN. THEY VALUE HARMONY. THEY HAVE 25,000 FOLKS. ABOUT 10,000 LIVE IN THE U.S. MOST SPEAK ENGLISH AND 1/2 SPEAK BLACKFOOT LANGUAGE THAT IS MUSICAL. THEIR SOURCE OF LIFE IS CALLED "ITS-TSI-DAH-TA-PII-OD". BLACKFEET MOMS CARRY THEIR BABIES ON THEIR BACKS IN A CRADLEBOARD THEY MAKE WITH REEDS AND WILLOW. THE WOMEN BUILD THE HOUSES AND DRAG THE POSTS TO THE LOCATION OF THE TIPI. THE MEN ARE HUNTERS AND WENT TO WAR . MOST BLACKFEET CHIEFS WERE MEN. BOTH GENDERS DID ARTWORK, TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, AND TOLD STORIES.

THEY LIVED IN TIPIS MADE FROM BUFFALO HIDE. THEY FREQUENTLY MOVED. TODAY THEY LIVE IN MODERN HOMES. THEY WORE DEERSKIN DRESSES AND LEGGINGS AND TUNICS. THEIR WAR SHIRTS HAD FRINGE AND WERE DECORATED WITH PORCUPINE AND ELK TEETH. THEY WORE BUFFALO HIDE ROBES. LATER THEY WERE EUROPEAN DRESSES AND FELT HATS.

THEY BUILT RAFTS TO TRAVEL IN AND THEY USED DOGS TO PULL A TRAVOIS TO CARRY THEIR BELONGINGS. THEIR STAPLE FOOD WAS BUFFALO. THEY HUNTED THEM BY DRIVING THEM OFF CLIFFS, OR SHOOTING THEM WITH BOW AND ARROWS. ONCE ANGLOS TRADED HORSES THEY BEGAN TO HUNT THEM COMMUNALLY. THEY ALSO PICKED NUTS, BERRIES AND ROOTS.

THEY ARE KNOWN FOR FINE QUILL EMBROIDERY AND BEADWORK, FOR SHIRTS AND BAGS. THEY MADE BOWS AND ARROWS AND FOUGHT WITH CLUBS, HIDES, AND SHIELDS. MOST WARRIORS WERE MEN BUT SOME WOMEN WERE ALSO. THEY HAD MANY LEGENDS ; ONCE OLD MAN WAS TRAVELING AROUND AND CAME TO THE SUN'S LODGE. SUN ASKED HIM TO STAY AROUND. ONE DAY THE MEAT WAS ALL GONE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KILL SOME DEER SUN ASKED? SUN TOOK DOWN A BAG WITH A PAIR OF LEGGINGS EMBROIDERED. SHE SAID THESE ARE MY HUNTING LEGGINGS. THESE ARE GREAT MEDICINE. I JUST PUT THEM ON AND WALK NEAR A BUSH AND SET IT ON FIRE AND OUT COME THE DEER. THE OLD MAN SAID HOW WONDERFUL. THEY WENT OUT TO HUNT. A LOT OF DEER CAME OUT AND ALOT OF DEER CAME OUT AND THEY EACH SHOT ONE. THE OLD MAN SAW WHERE SUN PUT HER LEGGINGS WHEN SUN WAS ASLEEP HE STOLE THEM AND WENT AWAY. HE TRAVELED A LONG WAY AND MADE A PILLOW AND SLEPT. IN THE MORNING HE HEARD SUN SAY, WHY ARE MY LEGGINGS UNDER MY HEAD? HE NOTICED HE WAS IN SUN'S LODGE AND THE OLD MAN SAID" I COULDN'T FIND PILLOW AND SO I PUT THESE UNDER MY HEAD.NIGHT CAME AND HE STOLE THE LEGGINGS AGAIN AND RAN OFF. YOU SEE WHAT A FOOL HE WAS , AS THE WHOLE WORLD WAS SUN'S LODGE. NO MATTER HOW FAR HE RAN HE COULD NOT GET OUT OF SUN'S SIGHT.. WHEN MORNING CAME SUN SAID SINCE YOU LIKE MY LEGGINGS YOU MAY KEEP THEM. THE OLD MAN WAS GLAD AND WENT AWAY.ONE DAY HE PUT THE LEGGINGS ON TO CATCH A DEER, HE SET A BUSH ON FIRE,BUT HIS LEGGINGS CAUGHT ON FIRE TOO. HE CAME TO A RIVER TO JUMP IN AN HIS LEGGING WERE BURNED UP. SUN DID THIS TO TEACH HIM A LESSON.

BIG ORRIN.ORG