The Blackfeet

Formally known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Blackfeet are comprised of three tribes that lived in what is now central Montana, western Saskatchewan, and southern Alberta. In their first contact with Europeans, the Blackfeet resisted trade with French and British trappers. They became known for their fierce bravery in conflicts with other native tribes and with whites. Their only contact with the Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery ended disastrously with the deaths of some innocent Blackfeet boys. In response, Blackfeet people closed their lands to all whites, a futile effort. The Blackfeet people as a whole suffered through betrayals at the hands of both Canadian and U.S. governments, which demanded treaties without honoring them, inflicted starvation winters, and spread diseases to which the Blackfeet people were not immune. Still the Blackfeet survived, proving that they are as brave as they are resilient, and most now live on a reservation that straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. In The Blackfeet, learn how these people are a vibrant part of the present-day world and stand as a symbol of courage, endurance, and strength.