Blackfeet (Siksika, Piegan)

The first European explorers, trappers, and traders had established good trading relations with the Blackfeet. First the French and later the British brought the Blackfeet goods they otherwise would never have had. Guns, cookware, textiles, and other manufactured items brought major changes to all Plains cultures.

America's war for independence had driven the British north of the Canadian border, but their influence in this region was still considerable. A stable, working fur trade economy with the British Canadians was well established when Lewis and Clark arrived.

Blackfeet guns had altered the balance of power in present-day Montana by the time the expedition arrived. In a few short decades the Blackfeet had grown to dominate most of the future state, pushing other tribes west. The Blackfeet language was such a mainstay of Plains life that most of the tribes the Corps met (and often mistook for Blackfeet) could speak it.

In one of the many dangerous situations encountered by the expedition, two Piegan Blackfeet warriors lost their lives.

Lewis and his contingent met with eight Blackfeet on the 1806 trip east. They shared a camp and Lewis described the American intentions for the area. He spoke of trading with all the tribes on an equal basis. This threat to Blackfeet power and livelihood led the warriors to action next morning. Lewis awoke to the sounds of a skirmish and was told by his men that the Blackfeet party was trying to steal their guns and horses. Two of the warriors were killed in the ensuing fight.

The effects of the encounter were disastrous. Despite several narrow escapes, the expedition had managed to avoid bloodshed to that point. Unfortunately their first and only fatal conflict was with one of the most powerful tribes in the new territory.

Today

The Blackfeet were one of the first tribes forced west by European encroachment. There are different opinions about the origin of the name Blackfeet, or Siksika, but the most popular version is that it referred to their dark footwear.

The Blackfeet Nation is actually composed of different groups, the Piegan, Bloods, and Northern Blackfeet. Most of the Bloods and Northern Blackfeet now live on reserves in Canada.

Of over 14,000 enrolled members, over 7,000 live on the reservation. At one time, the Blackfeet held most of northern Montana from Fort Union to what is now Glacier National Park. The Blackfeet Reservation now comprises 1.5 million acres of some of the best fishing and hunting resources in Montana.

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