The horse in Blackfoot Indian culture, with comparative material from other western tribes

Domestication of Animals

“…However by the late-seventeenth century, in the Southwestern United States, horses were reintroduced by European colonists. This relatively recent acquisition of horses, especially the impact of horseback riding, has been, all things considered for events occurring between 1680 and 1750 AD, reasonably well documented (Ewers, 1955). As a result, one can visualize the primary and secondary effects that the use of domesticated animals had on early societies.…”

“…This, in turn, would lead to an increase in population size for the established social group and an opportunity for accumulation of wealth. Moreover, that accumulation can lead to differentiation of social class and all the attendant consequences such distinctions bring (Ewers, 1955).…”

Scholarship vs. Repatriationism

“…As Ewers notes, in approximately 200 years, a well documented historical event had been assimilated into the timeless world of legend and myth. 67 The accusation of racism directed against geologists, archaeologists, and physical anthropologists is scurrilous. There is no suggestion in the extensive scholarly literature on the peopling of the New World that Indians are subhuman or unworthy of the respect due to all human beings.…”

Bundled Worlds: The Roles and Interactions of Complex Objects from the North American Plains

“…The Beaver Bundle was used in bison calling ceremonies (Reeves 1993;Peck 2002). The Buffalo Women or Matoo'kiiksi Society bundle and the Bull (male) Society bundle were associated with rituals that emulated bison behavior and every aspect of the hunt, from the herd drive to the construction of the corral (Ewers 1955;Wissler 1913). These and other societies, in turn, were integrated under the Okan or Sun Dance Ceremony, which was once primarily a bison renewal ceremony and had its own bundle (Naato'si).…”