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C. The Siksika People
From HCO Jr
| Part 1. First People of Canada → A. Turtle Island → B. The Wendat → C. The Siksika → D. The Haida → E. The Dene → F. The Inuit → G. The Cree → H. The Ojibwa → I. The Mi'kmaq |
| Siksika - Gallery | Stories & Texts | Web Links | Vocab | Student Activities | Class Projects |
The Plains Ecosystem
Contents |
There are not many trees on the open plains, but larger stands of trees grow in the river valleys. Small trees and shrubs grow on the plains. In the spring and summer you can find many different types of wild flowers and grasses.
The prairies are not the same today as they were before the farmers and cattle raisers arrived. There are so many farms that very little of the original prairies remains.
Many wild animals still live on the plains. There are pronghorn antelope, deer, black bears, moose and elk. Small animals such as rabbits, grouse and prairie dogs also live on the plains.
The biggest and most important animal for the Siksika in the old days was the buffalo. Very few remain today, and mostly in parks or buffalo ranches.
Saskatoon berries and other plant foods that can be eaten grow on the prairies. There are lakes and rivers but not as many as in central Canada.
The Siksika Nation: People of the Plains
Three tribes make up what we call the Blackfoot Confederacy:
- The Siksika - the main Blackfoot tribe, who live today near the Bow River east of Calgary
- The Kai-nai - the Bloods, living near the Oldman, Belly and St. Mary rivers west of Lethbridge
- The Pi-kuni - the Peigans or Pekuni. The Northern Peigan live near the Oldman River today. The Southern Peigan live near the Missouri River in Montana.
Each tribe became independent. But they all spoke the same language and shared a common culture. Most families had cousins in the other tribe. They also had treaties of mutual defense, and saw themselves as military allies.
Sometimes all three tribes were called the Nitsitapix (“real people”). The Blackfoot-speaking Siksikawa today call themselves "Niitsitapi".
Before the Europeans arrived there were 35,000 people in the Siksika nation.
Siksika Life and the Four Seasons
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Autumn During the autumn the Siksika traded with other First Nations. They hunted buffalo if they were close by. At the end of autumn they decided where they to set up their camps for the winter. |
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Winter
During the winter the Siksika camped in river valleys. This gave them protection from the cold wind that blows across the prairies. Animals such as deer lived in the river valleys. This provided the Siksika with food. Winter was an important time for telling stories and legends.
Spring
Spring was a very important time for the Siksika. After the winter their supply of food could be very low. Families gathered together to organize a buffalo hunt. This supplied the Siksika with enough buffalo meat to last for many months.
Summer
The Siksika stayed in large groups in the summer. They hunted buffalo in the summer. They also gathered berries and other natural food. Summer was also the time for special religious ceremonies.
Siksika Life
Technology
The Siksika developed skilled technology to survive on the plains.
They made weapons like spears, bows and arrows and buffalo knives. These let them harvest buffalo to feed and clothe and shelter their people.
They also used the spear and the bow and arrow to fight their enemies.
There are very few trees on the plains. So the Siksika had to use one animal the most to make their tools and weapons: the buffalo.
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Hundreds of years ago millions of buffalo lived on the plains. They traveled in large herds. These herds stayed very large until the 1850s (150 years ago). Over hunting killed many of the buffalo. Today there are very few buffalo left on the plains compared to the past.  Buffalo gave First Nations on the plains almost everything they needed to survive. Some say that every part of the buffalo was used by the plains people. Look at this list to see what they made with different parts of the buffalo. |
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Dogs were another important tool. Thousands of years ago the Siksika domesticated dogs. Dogs carried things on their backs for the people. Dogs also pulled a travois behind them. This was two long poles crossed and tied at one end. Strips of leather tied between the poles made a frame. The Siksika put their belongings on the travois and the dog dragged it.
The Siksika never developed canoes or other types of boats. There are not many lakes and rivers in Alberta. Only First Nations who lived near water invented boats.
Siksika Villages and Homes
Teepees made excellent homes for people on the plains. They traveled a great deal to find food and to trade. Teepees could be taken apart, transported, and put back together very easily. They were also lightweight. People could carry them easily. Lastly, teepees were made from resources in the environment. Siksika families could make new homes and repair old ones easily.
During the late spring the Siksika gathered in very large teepee villages. Sometimes as many as 2000 people would live together. Large groups of men hunted buffalo to feed the people.
During the autumn and winter the large villages broke up. People lived in small bands of families. Food was hard to find in the winter. A large village could not stay together. There was not enough food for everyone. By spreading out in small bands the Siksika could survive.
Siksika Food and Food Preparation
Buffalo was very important animal to the Siksika. It provided them with material to make tools and clothes. It also provided meat. Different methods were used to hunt buffalo.
One method was the buffalo jump. Men organized into hunting groups. When they found a buffalo herd they herded it towards a cliff. Buffalo fell over the cliff. Women and other men waited at the bottom. They killed the buffalo that did not die from the fall. They took the meat and other parts of the buffalo they needed.
In Alberta there is a famous buffalo jump called Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump. Archaeologists believe it was used for almost 6000 years.
Other people made corrals to catch the buffalo. Hunters drove some buffalo into the corral. Once inside they shot the buffalo with arrows until they were dead.
In addition men hunted bear, deer, elk, and antelope. They also hunted geese, ducks, partridge and swans. Siksika would not eat any fish. They thought fish were from an evil underwater world.
Women were very important. First, they prepared all of the food that was caught. They dried buffalo meat into small strips. They also made pemmican. Pemmican is dried buffalo meat that is ground up into powder. Women mixed the powder with dried berries and buffalo fat. Pemmican was stored for the winter when food was scarce.
Women also collected berries and other natural food. For example, they collected saskatoon berries, chokeberry, bull berry, goose berry, straw berry and raspberry. They also gathered wild turnips and onions.
Siksika Clothing
Siksika women made all of the clothes worn by the people in their family. The Siksika made most of their daily clothing and mocassins from buffalo hides. Everyday clothes were a little plain. People worked and played in these clothes. Clothes used for ceremonies or special occassions were decorated. Siksika women decorated ceremonial clothes with coloured bones and shells. Siksika people traded with other First Nations to get these bones and shells. They also decorated their clothes with feathers, fur, porcupine quills and buffalo hair.
Travel
Before the Siksika had horses they walked everywhere. Dogs carried loads over long distances. However, a dog is small and cannot carry very much.
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In the winter they traveled very little. Siksika people stayed in river valleys to hunt. They used their dogs to pull sleighs made from wood or buffalo bones. When the Siksika obtained horses this changed their way of life and made them richer. Horses are not indigenous to North America. This means horses did not come from North America. Spanish explorers brought them to North America in the 1500s. Horses quickly spread over the continent until they reached the Canadian prairies in the 1700s. Horses changed how the Siksika and other plains people lived. They could now travel much further and faster. Horses can also carry more things than dogs. They pulled even larger travois behind them. Horses also changed how the Siksika hunted buffalo. Hunters could now charge right into buffalo herds and surround a single buffalo. Hunters trained some horses to be special buffalo runners. These horses were fast and smart.
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Hunters used their legs to direct the horse where to go. A hunter pressed with his knees to tell the horse to go left or right, speed up or slow down. Hunters needed their hands to use spears and bows and arrows. Siksika hunters rode so close to buffalo that their legs touched the animal. Buffalo runners were valuable horses.
Trade
Trade was important to the Siksika. They could not obtain everything they needed from their environment. They obtained corn, beans and squash from First Nations who lived further south.
Some of the things used by the Siksika came from far away. Archaeologists find many different things:
- Copper from Lake Superior. This lake is over 1000 kilometers east of Siksika land.
- Obsidian from Wyoming. Obsidian is a special kind of stone. It can be made into very sharp knives and arrow heads.
- Shells from the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River. Siksika people made jewelry and religious items from these shells.
Siksika people were part of a very large trading network that stretched over thousands of kilometers.
Social Life of the Siksika
Family Life
Siksika families lived together in a band. Bands were small groups of families that supported each other when hunting and gathering resources. Here are some members of a Siksika/Kai-nai family group, painted by George Catlin 160 years ago:
 Crystal Stone, a Chief's Wife  Iron Horn, a Siksika Warrior |
 Grandson of Chief Buffalo Bull's Back Fat  Stu-mick-o-súcks, Buffalo Bull's Back Fat, Head Chief, Blood Tribe |
If a man wanted to marry a woman he needed her father’s permission. He paid the girl’s father horses and other things. Once they married the woman moved in with her husband’s family.
When a husband and wife had children it was very special. Mothers named their daughters. They chose a name based on the first thing they saw. Girls had names such as Sky Woman, Buffalo's Child, Spider, or Deer Woman.
A boy received his name differently. An older man in the family named baby boys. He would go into a sweat lodge until he thought of a name. This was the boy’s name until he became older. When he became an adult he received a new name. If a boy became a great warrior or hunter his new name reflected this.
When a boy turned 13 the men made fun of his name. This was a child’s name. People made fun of him so the boy would do something brave and earn an adult’s name. At age 13 boys traveled with their father and uncles on hunting trips or war parties. They helped prepare and catch food for the men. If they worked hard they received an adult name.
Young boys and girls played together until they were five years old. At that age the girls were trained by the women. Their mother and aunts taught them how to make fires, sew clothes, prepare food, and tan buffalo hides.
Fathers and uncles taught the boys how to hunt, ride a horse, trap animals, and use a bow and arrow. When a boy killed his first animal a special feast was held. Even if it was only a rabbit it was a very special occasion.
Men and women had very specific jobs. Women put the teepees together and took them apart. They cooked and prepared the food. They also tanned animal hides. Men hunted animals for food and furs. Men also fought to protect the band from enemies.
Siksika Religion
During the winter the Siksika gathered in their teepees and the adults told stories about Napi.
Some legends told how the world was made. Some stories explained why skunks have black stripes down their backs. Others explained how Napi taught people to catch buffalo.
Stars were important to the Siksika. They believed that some people used special powers and became stars. They called the stars Sky People.
Some men became religious leaders. The Siksika did not have a religious group like the Anishinabeg.
Siksika religious leaders often carried medicine bundles. A bundle could hold anything: wood, a rock, animal fur or bones, or something made by people. Religious men also carried long pipes. They would dance with the pipe in their hands to scare away evil spirits.
Siksika people believed in good and bad spirits. The Sun, for example, was a spirit. The Suns’ wife was the Moon. They had a son called the Morning Star (the planet Venus).
Siksika people also believed that spirits helped people. If a man became a great warrior it was because a spirit helped him. Sometimes it could be an owl spirit. Some warriors had help from animals as small as a mouse.
Okans also gave thanks for help. If a woman’s husband or son was fighting enemies she might ask the Sun for help. She said if the Sun spirit protected her husband or son she would hold an Okan.
Okans were held in July. Many people from different bands attended an Okan. They took place over many days (sometimes as long as a week).
Dreams and Vision Quests
At age 13 young boys went on vision quests to find a spirit that would help them in their lives. They left their village and lived alone for many days. They did not eat any food and drank very little water. If they were lucky they would find an animal spirit that would be their helper for their entire life.
Some men had dreams and visions often. Such men were thought to be very important. When they had a dream they tried to find out what the dream meant.
Politics
Each band had a war chief and a political chief. During times of peace the political chief was in charge. A political chief held council meetings of other leaders. Political chiefs were in charge of the band police. Police were men who kept order in a band. Warriors acted as police.
If a band went to war, or if it was attacked by enemies the war chief took over. Bands also had warrior societies. These were groups of young men (age 20 to 25). They ran the warrior society. Every five years the next group of young men took over the warrior society.
If three or more bands joined together they chose one man to be the political chief. The other chiefs were still important men, but the Siksika chose one man to be leader. If a war started one man became the war chief.
Council meetings were led by the head chief. Other important men attended and so did the war chief. Even if a man was head chief he could not tell the others what to do. Everyone at a council had power.
All decisions were made by consensus (everyone had to agree). Sometimes a council could not reach consensus. If one chief did not agree with a decision he did not have to obey the other chiefs. He could do what he wanted. Most times a chief would do what the majority of people decided.
Siksika chiefs were very good public speakers. They tried to convince people to follow them by making good arguments and speaking well.
| Part 1. First People of Canada → A. Turtle Island → B. The Wendat → C. The Siksika → D. The Haida → E. The Dene → F. The Inuit → G. The Cree → H. The Ojibwa → I. The Mi'kmaq |
| Siksika - Gallery | Stories & Texts | Web Links | Vocab | Student Activities | Class Projects |
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