week_5

Indigenous Studies 101

Week 5: The Great Plains

Canvas Discussions

  • Capitalization is essential: Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Native, etc.

  • Deduction: 0.25 points for improper usage.

  • Draft posts in Word or a word processor for better proofreading.

  • Responses must reference that week's content accurately.

  • Include a call to action that addresses the topic's reconciliation.

Outline of Content

  • The region and environment

  • Blackfoot Creation stories

  • Archaeological evidence

  • Global Era context

  • Contemporary Issues:

    • Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up

Map of Indigenous Peoples and Regions

  • The Great Plains region is home to various Indigenous groups, including:

    • Cree, Blackfoot, Dakota, Cheyenne, and many others categorized under their respective areas (e.g., Arctic, Subarctic, Great Basin).

Blackfoot Confederacy

  • Consists of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Plains Cree, Gros Ventre, Sioux, and Saulteaux.

Niitsitapi (Blackfoot)

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

  • Confederation: Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), Piikani (Peigan).

Blackfoot Creation Stories

Niitsitapi Creation

  • Napi (The Old Man) created the world from mud, shaping mountains, prairies, and forests.

  • Napi traveled from the south to north, molding the landscape.

Elements of Creation

  • Every plant and animal assigned a specific place on earth (e.g., Big Horn Sheep in mountains, Bison on prairie).

  • The first people were created from clay, taught to harvest plants and animals for sustenance.

Badger-Two Medicine

  • Depictions by Jesse DesRosier are inspired by traditional Blackfoot winter counts and tribal records.

Plains Archaeology

Types of Evidence

  • Three main types: Buffalo hunting, Tipi rings, and Medicine Wheels.

  • Oral histories are increasingly informative alongside physical evidence.

Buffalo Culture

  • Vital to Great Plains society and deeply embedded in their culture:

    • Hunting practices, spiritual rituals, and social organization all linked to buffalo migration patterns.

  • Buffalo are sacred to First Peoples with significant ceremonies for their return.

Uses of Buffalo

  • Tanned hide utilized for various cultural artifacts (moccasins, robes, and various bags).

  • Bones and muscles were critical for tools, food, and shelter.

  • Every part of the buffalo had multiple purposes, emphasizing respect and sustainability.

Archaeological Features

Tipi Rings

  • Circles of stones crucial for holding down lodge edges; abundant in the plains.

  • Excavation reveals social structure and seasonal occupation details.

Medicine Wheels

  • Elders used stone alignments for spiritual and ritual purposes, notably found in Alberta.

  • Some of these structures date back to 4000 BC.

Impact of Dogs and Horses

Dog Days

  • Dogs served as pack animals before horses arrived in the early 1700s, changing hunting dynamics.

Horse Days

  • Horses introduced transformative changes to communal hunting practices and increased conflict.

Socioeconomic Changes

  • By the 1700s, the Blackfoot acquired horses and guns, establishing complex social structures.

  • Declining bison numbers and disease led to Treaty 7 in 1877.

Historical Context

Rupert's Land

  • Established during the fur trade period, originally known as Turtle Island, named after Prince Rupert.

  • Canada acquired it in 1870, often neglecting Indigenous rights.

Westward Capitalism

  • 1868 laws facilitated the transfer from HBC to Canada, promoting settlement and resource extraction without Indigenous consent.

The "Indian Problem"

  • The colonial mindset deemed the need to manage Indigenous affairs as a civilizing mission, hindering westward expansion.

Systematic Extermination

  • Bison hunting policies aimed at starving the Indigenous population were enacted, demonstrating a systematic approach to undermine First Peoples' sovereignty.

Workshop Details

Research and Collaboration

  • Elevator pitch for assignments and proposals, emphasizing feedback on Indigenous perspectives and viability of topics.

Assignment Mechanics & Style

  • Follow guidelines from previous weeks, including Younging’s Elements of Indigenous Style.