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12 000 years ago, my people
were many and the strongest warrior led us to the prairies in the North of Alberta. An old
woman was worried to see this strange place that was so flat, with hardly any rivers or
trees. The teepees left a trace on the earth when we moved them, so it was decided to move
them every three days so the grass under them would not be damaged.
In this time, men were fighting a lot because everybody wanted to become a leader.
To be allowed to marry, a man had to take the scalp of an enemy. It also gave us the right
to own a house (teepee).
There were too many of us and too little to eat, so it was decided to divide the people in
three groups, each group being assigned a different region . We agreed to meet again a
year later, when the berries would be ripe, and to hold a sundance.
The next year we all came together.
Those who were coming from the North had crossed a region where there had been a big fire
and their mocassins were darkened by the soot. They received the name Blackfeet( Siksika).
Those coming from the East had dirt on their robes and they were called Piegan or Pikuni
(Spotted Robes).
Those who came from the South wore beautiful headdresses and received the name Kai Nai,
which means Many Chiefs.
Later, when the white people came, my clan, the Kai Nai, was called the Blood Clan by the
french merchants, because it was said that our warriors were not satisfied until they had
seen the blood of their enemies.
The Blood Tribe reservation is actually the largest rez in Canada.
The Blood are the only nation who never gave up their right to perform the Sundance. The
colonists came to our land only relatively recently (late 19th century) when compared to
other nations. Many other tribes were forbidden to perform the Sundance by the white
colonists.
Nowadays the laws are changing, and Sundances are again being allowed. Many
representatives of other Nations turn to us so we can teach them about the Sundance and
our sacred ceremonies.
As mentionned before, we moved our teepees every 3 days to avoid damaging the earth and to
allow the flattened grass to straighten up. It has always been and still is most important
for us to show respect to the Earth. It is not our Earth, it our children’s Earth.
Whenever we take something from the Earth, even when we pick up wood for the fire or a
stone, we offer some tobacco in exchange, to thank the Earth for the gift.
During the last 100 years, Alberta has changed more than during the 12 000 years when my
people lived on this land and showed it proper respect.
My people was a nation of warriors. We fought with all the other tribes and no one tried
to take our land from us. The white man came to us only in 1881. That’s the reason
why our traditions have remained so strong compared to other tribes, and what makes us so
strong is that our people have always followed the buffalo.
Have you ever paid attention to the way the long hair grows on a buffalo’s front, but
not on his backside ? The buffalo is the only animal who goes into the storm. While others
seek shelter, the buffalo does not run away, it goes straight into the heart of the storm
and this way, it is over sooner. We have learned from this animal and this is how we live.
We always follow the buffalo.
The elders tell us stories about how at the times when the temperature dropped 40°C below
zero , my people didn’t huddle together for warmth in their houses, but on the
contrary, the men went hunting and the women collected wood for the fire. It was so cold
that the knives stuck to the flesh and we had to sit on our hands to warm them up. These
were the times when we worked most, and we rested when the weather was warm.
We are a very strong and resistant people. When we wake up in the morning, the first thing
we do is dive into the icy river, to wash our bodies but also to strenghten ourselves.
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