The Blackfeet Tribe, also known as Pikuni or Piegan, were once the most powerful Native American tribe in North America. They lived in teepees, were nomadic, and highly regarded family. The tribe now lives on a reservation in Montana and is part of the larger Blackfoot Confederacy. Their social unit was the band, and they believed in good and evil spirits. They continue to practice ancient traditions such as the Sun Dance.
The Blackfeet Tribe is a Native American people native to the Northern Plains of the United States. Historians writing in the mid-19th century called the Blackfeet “Lords of the Plains” and considered them the most powerful of all North American tribes. Originally, the Blackfeet tribe’s home was larger than the entire state of Montana. The tribe now lives within that state on a remote reservation that is approximately the size of Delaware. The preserve is bordered by prairies and wilderness areas to the south and east, Canada to the north, and Glacier Park and the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Referring to itself as “Pikuni” or “Piegan,” the Blackfoot tribe is actually part of the larger Blackfoot Confederacy. The Blackfoot Confederacy includes the Blackfoot Tribe and three other related tribes located just across the border from the United States in the southern Canadian province of Alberta. Collectively, the Blackfoot Confederacy calls itself the “Niitsitapi” or “Original People”.
Typical of Native American Plains tribes, the Blackfeet lived in teepees made from buffalo hides and were nomadic, practicing little agriculture. Built to be set up and taken down quickly, an entire village of teepees could be ready to move in an hour. With the introduction of the horse in the early 18th century, the tribe began to move more frequently as it became easier to follow the buffalo herds.
The family was highly regarded by the Blackfoot tribe. Men chose their wives but, to obtain permission to marry, the male had to demonstrate to the woman’s father his skills as a hunter or warrior. If the father approved, the woman and man gave each other gifts of clothes and horses and were considered married. Gender roles were traditional, with women in charge of the household while men were hunters and warriors.
Above the household, the basic social unit of the Blackfoot tribe was the band, which consisted of approximately 10-30 lodges. The band was residential and not based on kinship. People could leave freely and join other bands; as a result, bands often broke up and reformed. Each was led by a respected leader, selected by consensus, who had no power to coerce his followers.
Blackfeet see the universe as inhabited by good and evil spirits with “Sun Power” the source of all power. In modern times, the ancient practices of vision quest and sweat lodge continue. The sacred Sun Dance, an eight-day event, continues to be performed each summer to honor the Creator.
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