Week5_GreatPlains

Week 5: The Great Plains

Introduction to Indigenous Studies 101

• Key focus on the Indigenous peoples associated with the Great Plains region.

Canvas Discussions

• Important Guidelines:

  • Capitalize terms: Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Native, etc.

  • Points will be deducted for incorrect capitalization.

  • Preparation: Type posts in a word processor for extra proofreading.

  • Posts must accurately answer discussion questions referencing weekly content.

  • Each post should include a call to action for reconciliation related to the topic discussed.

Outline of Topics

• Main Areas Covered:

  • The region and environment of the Great Plains.

  • Blackfoot Creation stories.

  • Archaeological evidence from the Plains.

  • Historical Global Era influences.

  • Contemporary issues: Nîpawistamâsowin, or "We Will Stand Up."

Indigenous Peoples of the Great Plains

• Cultural Diversity:

  • Significant tribes include:

    • Blackfoot

    • Plains Cree

    • Gros Ventre

    • Sioux

    • Saulteaux

• Map representation showing regional placement of Indigenous peoples across various territories.

Blackfoot Confederacy

• Niitsitapi (Blackfoot):

  • Translates to "the people" or "the Blackfoot speaking people."

  • Composed of three main groups:

    • Siksika (Blackfoot)

    • Kainai (Blood)

    • Piikani (Peigan)

Blackfoot Creation Story

• Origin:

  • Created by Napi, known as "The Old Man."

  • Formed the environment using mud, shaping mountains, prairies, forests, birds, and animals.

  • Creation process involved journeying from South to North, arranging the elements of nature.

Key Features of Blackfoot Creation

• Human Existence and Sustainability:

  • First people were created from clay and imbued with knowledge about harvesting plants and hunting animals for food and medicinal use.

Archaeological Evidence in the Great Plains

• Types of Evidence:

  • Buffalo Hunting: Evidence of hunting methods and tools.

  • Tipi Rings: Circular stones indicating dwellings.

  • Medicine Wheels: Spiritual sites indicating ritual significance.

• Oral histories complement archaeological findings, adding depth to understanding past lives.

Buffalo Culture

• Cultural Significance:

  • Described as "Buffalo Culture," encompassing hunting practices and social structures that reflect buffalo migration.

  • Buffalo regarded as sacred, central to ceremonies and festivals.

• Cultural Artifacts:

  • Skull preparation for communal ceremonial activities.

Practical Uses of Buffalo

• Buffalo's Contributions:

  • Different parts of the buffalo used for various practical items:

    • Tanned Hide: Clothing, accessories, and traditional items.

    • Bones and Muscles: Tools, weaponry, and food preservation.

    • Dung: Used as fuel.

• Cultural Illustrations: Graphic illustrating how each buffalo part was utilized by the Indigenous peoples.

Historic Sites

• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump:

  • Significant hunting site in Alberta, utilized for thousands of years, demonstrating ancient hunting techniques.

Archaeological Features of the Plains

• Tipi Rings:

  • Circular stone features that indicate historical living structures.

• Medicine Wheels:

  • Spiritual stone alignments, their presence indicates ritual and cultural importance, widely found in Alberta.

Changes Over Time

• The Dog Days to Horse Days:

  • Early use of dogs as pack animals and their transition with the arrival of horses in the 1700s that changed hunting and travel.

• Blackfoot Adaptation:

  • Acquired firearms and horses due to trade, evolving their societal structures.

Historical Context: Fur Trade and Colonial Impacts

• Rupert's Land:

  • Named after Prince Rupert, marked a significant trading territory, leading to displacement and disregard for Indigenous rights.

• Westward Expansion:

  • Canadian acquisition of land without Indigenous consent leading to various impacts on Indigenous existence.

Systematic Extermination of Buffalo

• Government Policy:

  • Deliberate extermination of buffalo linked to severing Indigenous sovereignty and fulfilling colonial expansion goals.

  • Historical accounts of violence against buffalo herds, reflecting broader patterns of colonization and exploitation.

• Citations of Historical Figures:

  • General Sheridan's policies promoting buffalo extermination to facilitate westward expansion.