Siksika Indians. Located in the territory stretching from North Saskatchewan River, Canada, to the southern. headstreams of the Missouri in Montana, and from about longitude 105° W. to the base of the Rocky Mountains. The Siksika belong to the Algonquian linguistic stock, forming the most aberrant of all the well-recognized tongues of that family except Arapaho and Atsina.
The tribes forming this group are the Siksika, or Blackfeet proper, the Piegan, and the Kainah, or Bloods. Closely allied and associated with these were the Atsina, a branch of the Arapaho, but who later became incorporated with the Assiniboin. These tribes roamed over a wide territory of mountains, plains, and valleys. Early accounts of the manners and ways of life of the Blackfeet are to be found in the journals kept by traders belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company, who penetrated the vast, unknown wilderness southwestward from York Factory daring the eighteenth century. Although the records are all too … Read more
Kainah First Nation, Kainah Indians, Blood Indians (Ah-kai-nah, ‘many chiefs,’ from a-kai-im many , ni´-nah chiefs ). A division of the Siksika, or Blackfeet, now living on a reservation under the Blood agency in Alberta, Canada, between Belly and St Mary Rivers. The subtribes or bands are Ahkaiksumiks, Ahkaipokaks, Ahkptashiks, Ahkwonistsists, Anepo, Apikaiyiks, Aputpsikainah, Inuhksoyistamiks, Isisokasimiks, Istsikainah, Mameoya, Nitikskiks, Saksinahmahyiks, Siksahpuniks, and Siksinokaks. According to the Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1858, there were then 300 tipis and 2,400 persons. In 1904 there were 1,196 persons on the reservation, of whom 958 were classed as pagans. Alternate … Read more
Siksika Indians. A tribe of the Siksika confederacy (see below). They now (1905) live on a reservation in Alberta, Canada, on upper Bow River, and are officially known as the Running Rabbit and Yellow Horse bands. They were divided into the following subtribes or bands: Aisikstukiks, Apikaiyiks, Emi-tahpahksaiyiks, Motahtosiks, Puhksinahmahyiks, Saiyiks, Siksinokaks,Tsiniktsistsoyiks. Pop. 942 in 1902, 795 in 1909. Siksika Confederacy Siksika Confederacy, (‘black feet’, from siksinam ‘black’, ka the root of ogkatsh ‘foot’. The origin of the name is disputed, but it is commonly believed to have reference to the discoloring of their moccasins by the ashes of the … Read more
Piegan Indians (Pikuni, referring to people having badly dressed robes). One of the 3 tribes of the Siksika or Blackfoot confederacy. Its divisions, as given by Grinnell, are: Ahahpitape, Ahkaiyikokakiniks, Kiyis, Sikutsipmaiks, Sikopoksimaiks, Tsiniksistsoyiks, Kutaiimiks, Ipoksimaiks, Silkokitsimiks, Nitawyiks, Apikaiviks, Miahwahpitsiks, Nitakoskitsipupiks, Nitikskiks, Inuksiks, Miawkinaiyiks, Esksinaitupiks, Inuksikahkopwaiks, Kahmitaiks, Kutaisotsiman, Nitotsiksisstaniks, Motwainaiks, Mokumiks, and Motahtosiks. Hayden gives also Susksoyiks. In 1858 the Piegan in the United States were estimated to number 3,700. Hayden 3 years later estimated the population at 2,520. In 1906 there were 2,072 under the Blackfeet agency in Montana, and 493 under the Piegan agency in Alberta, Canada.
Many tribes have sub-tribes, bands, gens, clans and phratry. Often very little information is known or they no longer exist. We have included them here to provide more information about the tribes. Emitahpahksaiyiks (´dogs naked`). A division of the Siksika. Inuhksoyistamiks (In-uhk′-so-yi-stdm-iks, ‘long tail lodge poles’). A band of the Kainah division of the Siksika. Grinnell, Blackfoot Lodge Tales, 209, 1892. Inuksikahkopwaiks (I-nuk-si′-kah-ko-pwa-ĭks, ‘small brittle fat’). A division of the Piegan Siksika. Grinnell, Blackfoot Lodge Tales, 209, 225, 1892. Inuksiks (small robes). A former division of the Piegan Siksika.