BLACKFOOT By Nick, Ryker, Wesley, Scott.

SETTING

LOCATION:  Canada.  British Columbia.  Alberta.  Saskatchewan.  USA, Montana.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY  Lowest point: 3400 ft. ( 1000 ) m. below sea level.  Highest point: 9066 ft. ( 2763 ) m. above sea level.  East: grasslands.  Western edge: thick forests.

CLIMATE  Had hot dry summers,  Extremely cold winters. Language  they spoke the Blackfoot language as well as English.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE!

FAMILY AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION!  Young people were invited into societies after proving themselves.  Each society had a function to the tribe.  The family Is the foundation of the speaking peoples social organization.  “WIFE” is extended to all her sisters.  “ HUSBAND” applies to all his brothers.  Grandparents and other elders are called Naas.

 camps were generally composed of those who were related through marriage, although people were allowed to move from camp to camp depending on interpersonal relationships.

GOVERNMENT

THE PEOPLE:  The reservation is home to the Blackfeet Tribe.  Of about 15,000 enrolled tribal members.  About 7,000 living around the reservation.  The Blackfeet Indians are commonly thought to get there name by the black color of their moccasins painted or darkened with ashes.

WARFARE

WEAPONS  Some of the weapons the Blackfeet Indians used were. 1.Bow + Arrows. 2.Knifes. 3.Mauls – large mallets or hammers. 4.Shot guns + pistols.

PICTURES:

EXPEDITIONS  From time to time there would be some expeditions to go kill enemies, for glory, or to take revenge, or even for a minor injury but war had not yet been made.  After killing the enemy thy take what they find has most value such as food dry meats or bread. Or they take animals, or clothing.

CULTURE

ART  The Blackfoot tribe made beadwork, quillwork, and baskets.  The Blackfoot tribe had pottery.  The theme is the people of the plains and their most important resources; the bison.  They hand made pots, flasks, vases and plates in addition of figurines and masks.

DANCE + CEREMONIES  The sun dance is the highest Blackfoot ceremony and dance.  Held every summer when the sarvis berries are ripe.  The sun dance is a ceremony of prayer, sacrifice, and renewal.  It lasts a day and a half, during which time a hundred songs are sung each song is different from the others.

MUSIC  Singing is strongly distinguished from speech.  Many songs do not contain any words, and the songs that do have words often describe myths from the rest of life.  Blackfoot music is primarily vocal.  They had instruments but the most importand one and most common one they used were the drums.

INSTRUMENTS 1.Drums 2.Flutes 3.Rattles 4.Bells

GAMES  Some games they had were, 1.Dice 2.Hand games 3.Hoop and pole 4.Spinning tops 5.Stick games

RELIGION  The Blackfoot religion is very complex.  Their main god was the son, the also believed in a being called napi, which means old man.  The Blackfoot tribe also had complicated beliefs about special powers in connection with nature.  They believed that animals had their own powers, and that these animals could bestow these supernatural powers.

BURIAL PRACTICES  Burial customs varied wildly from tribe to trib.  Indians disposed of their dead in a few different ways.  Modern day native Americans may incorporate ancient death rituals handed down from their ancestors in a modern funeral service.

DAILY LIFE

FOOD  Pemmican: made from lean meat from big animals.  The meat was cut up in to thin slices and put over top of a fire to dry out and become hard.  10% of diet was filled with roots and eggs, and a various amount of fruits and vegetables.

HUNTING FISHING/ AGRICULTURE OR FARMING

 Blackfoot people mainly tried to hunt bison/buffalo or other large bulky animals.  They also fired arrows on horseback.  When the Europeans came and overhunted in the Blackfoot area, the Blackfoot tribe had to turn to fishing and agriculture to survive.

SHELTER  Two types of shelter they had were tipis and lodges.  Tipis: are easy to set up and to take down for quick travel.  Lodges: built after the tipis; could hold 6-8 people.

CLOTHING AND ADORNMENT  The clothing was made out of deer and antelope hide.  Clothing was decorated with beads, porcupine quill, and feathers.  Woman wore long fringed dresses.  Men wore leggings and occasionally wore buckskin shirt.

THE END