Studies in Blackfoot Indian Musical Culture, Part II: Musical Life of the Montana Blackfoot, 1966

Abstract

There are approximately 12,000 Blackfoot Indians living in the U.S. today. About 6,000 live on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana (Bureau of Indian Affairs 1965:59). Many of those who do not live on the reservation take part in reservation life through summer visits. There are three smaller Blackfoot reserves immediately across the Canadian border. Of the three groups differentiated by dialect-Piegan, Blood, and Northern Blackfoot-the largest, the Piegan, inhabit the Montana reservation. There is, however, much interchange of persons through migration, marriage, and visiting across the border. This paper is based entirely on material from the Piegan branch of the Blackfoot. In addition to Indians, the Montana reservation is inhabited by about 1500 whites who lease Indian lands for ranching and own businesses which provide goods and services to the Indians and cater to the tourist trade. Indians work as ranchers, cowboys, or filling station attendants, but many are unemployed, living on relief or small rentals paid by white ranchers for the use of their land. Most of the Indians live in the southern part of the reservation. Almost half live in or near Browning, the largest town and the home of the Indian agency. The next largest settlement is Heart Butte, at the southernmost extreme of the reservation, with about 500 inhabitants. Browning, being inhabited by many whites, offers an interesting contrast to Heart Butte, which is strictly an Indian town. Heart Butte is essentially conservative and has many Blackfoot-speaking inhabitants, a number of whom served as willing and competent informants. Browning has a larger proportion of mixed-blood Blackfoot and includes many who are somewhat demoralized by unsuccessful competition with the whites. In Browning, one finds less interest in old Indian traditions than in the outlying communities. Other areas of population concentration are: Starr School, about 10 miles west of