Blackfoot Ways of Knowing is a journey into the heart and soul of Blackfoot culture. In sharing her personal story of "coming home" to reclaim her identity within that culture, Betty Bastien offers us a gateway into traditional Blackfoot ways of understanding and experiencing the world.
"The modern version of The Tao of Physics. . . We gain tantalizing glimpses of an elusive alternative to the thing we know as science. . . . Above all, Peat's book is an eloquent plea for a fair go for the modes of enquiry of other cultures." --New Scientist One summer in the 1980s, theoretical physicist F. David Peat went to a Blackfoot Sun Dance ceremony. Having spent all of his life steeped in and influenced by linear Western science, he was entranced by the Native American worldview and, through dialogue circles between scientists and native elders, he began to explore it in greater depth. Blackfoot Physics is the account of his discoveries. In an edifying synthesis of anthropology, history, metaphysics, cosmology, and quantum theory, Peat compares the medicines, the myths, the languages—the entire perceptions of reality of the Western and indigenous peoples. What becomes apparent is the amazing resemblance between indigenous teachings and some of the insights that are emerging from modern science, a congruence that is as enlightening about the physical universe as it is about the circular evolution of humanity’s understanding. Through Peat’s insightful observations, he extends our understanding of ourselves, our understanding of the universe, and how the two intersect in a meaningful vision of human life in relation to a greater reality.
Thousands of people in Alberta and Montana speak Blackfoot, an Algonquian language. But the numbers are diminishing and the survival of Blackfoot is in some danger. To help preserve the language while it is still in daily use, Donald G. Frantz and Norma Jean Russell collaborated on the Blackfoot Dictionary, published in 1989 to widespread acclaim and later revised in 1995. Blackfoot Grammar, the companion volume to the dictionary, has now also been updated with a second edition. The changes made to each chapter reflect new approaches refined through years of teaching experience. New chapters on 'Numbers and Enumeration' and 'Translating from English to Blackfoot' have been added, as well as new exercises and two new appendixes describing the phonetics of Blackfoot and the design of the alphabet. This second edition of Blackfoot Grammar will be a welcome update not only for those who wish to learn the language, but for all those with an interest in Native Studies and North American linguistics.
The Blackfeet were hunters, travelling from place to place on foot. They used implements of stone, wood, or bone, wore clothing made of skins, and lived in tents covered by hides. Dogs, their only tame animals, were used as beasts of burden to carry small packs and drag light loads. The stories here told come down to us from very ancient times. Grandfathers have told them to their grandchildren, and these again to their grandchildren, and so from mouth to mouth, through many generations, they have reached our time. Those who wish to know something about how the people lived who told these stories will find their described in the last chapter of this book. Contents: Two Fast Runners The Wolf Man Kŭt-o-yĭs ́, the Blood Boy The Dog and the Root Digger The Camp of the Ghosts The Buffalo Stone How the Thunder Pipe Came Cold Maker's Medicine The All Comrades Societies The Bulls Society The Other Societies The First Medicine Lodge The Buffalo-painted Lodges Mīka ́pi—red Old Man Red Robe's Dream The Blackfeet Creation Old Man Stories The Wonderful Bird The Rabbits' Medicine The Lost Elk Meat The Rolling Rock Bear and Bullberries The Theft From the Sun The Smart Woman Chief Bobcat and Birch Tree The Red-eyed Duck The Ancient Blackfeet
A young Native American woman creates a hauntingly beautiful tribute to an age-old way of life in this fascinating portrait of the women of the Blackfoot Indians. A captivating tapestry of personal and tribal history, legends and myths, and the wisdom passed down through generations of women, this extraordinary book is also a priceless record of the traditional skills and ways of an ancient culture that is vanishing all too fast. Including many rare photographs, The Ways of My Grandmothers is an authentic contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Native American lore -- and a classic that will speak to women everywhere.
In 1886 Walter McClintock went to northwestern Montana as a member of a U.S. Forest Service expedition. He was adopted as a son by Chief Mad Dog, the high priest of the Sun Dance, and spent the next four years living on the Blackfoot Reservation. The Old North Trail, originally published in 1910, is a record of his experiences among the Blackfeet.
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot Indians" by Clark Wissler. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.