Revisiting the Horse in Blackfoot Culture: Understanding the Development of Nomadic Pastoralism on the North American Plains

Abstract

The dynamic relationship between horses and nomadic peoples has a long history of study within pastoralist research worldwide. In the Plains of North America, however, the story of the horse is not often considered within these discussions. This article focuses on the story of the Blackfoot people in order to move beyond description of observed impacts of the horse and toward a discussion of what these impacts mean in terms of culture change, continuity, and Indigenous resistance. Recognizing Blackfoot horse culture as a true mode of pastoralism acknowledges the complexity of Indigenous responses to Euroamerican contact while also expanding our understanding of the global development of pastoralism as a lifeway.