|
Kutchin |
Chipewyan |
Beaver |
Stoney |
Blackfoot |
Blood
| Assiniboine
| Sioux |
Sarcee
The Kaena Indians, which
meant "Already Chief" were called the
blood because of their act of covering
themselves with blood after a particular raid of
their enemies. The Blood Indians constituted a
western contingent of the Algonquin family. The
Blood have many groups in their nation such as
- Akae-namax - many scabbed
mouths
- Ayom-okekax - closely
camped
- Akae-pokax - many
children
- Ini-poyex - standing
buffalos
and more.
Their language fell into the
same family as that of the Blackfoot and they
were sometimes considered a part of the great
Blackfoot confederacy. They lived south of
present day Calgary and were without horses
until around 1700 when the stock that had
escaped from the Spanish in Mexico reached their
area or were traded for with native groups to
the south. The question of horses revolutionized
their culture. Before that time they had to hunt
buffalo, deer and other game on foot and carried
their belongings on back or with dogs pulling
small travois.
Around 1882 the blood Indians
numbered around 1800 and today that total has
fallen to about 1300. In 1877 the signed a
treaty with the Canadian Government and agreed
to live on a reservation which is located just
south of Cardston.
They had deep religious
beliefs which centred around the sun and the
moon and some of the sun circles, which was a
large circle of rocks, can still be found in
Alberta today. The ceremonies associated with
their beliefs involved self mutilation and other
physical tests. These ceremonies were later
banded by the Canadian Government in an effort
to force their culture to adapt to national
norms.
The most devastating
influences on the Blood Indians were disease and
whiskey traders from Montana. As with many other
American people, European diseases took a
tremendous toll due to their alien immune
systems and susceptibility to new viruses. The
whiskey traders from Montana traded cheap,
alcoholic products for buffalo hides, horses and
anything of value which they could get from the
Blood. The Blood became alcoholics and quickly
became ill, and incapacitated. This lead not
only to bad health and early death, but to a
breakdown of social order and family support
systems.
The arrival of the Northwest
Mounted Police helped chase the whiskey traders
out of the province and slowly the blood
re-established their culture and social system.
Today the Blood can be proud of a strong vibrant
community.
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