Author: julie velasquez

Big Idea_Final Paper

The stories and traditions held by any culture throughout any period of time provide an unique insight as to what those people value, and how they want their societies to run. What types of traditions build up a people’s mythological corpus are vital to discerning deeper truths about those people. Many of the stories people chose to pass down from generation to generation come attached to moral lessons that help shape how children view everything from adversity, to their relationship with the world they live in; the same holds true with the Oral Traditions of First Nations peoples. The Oral Traditions that have been passed on through the generations hold valuable lessons about the people and what matters to them. For this project, I decided to research the Oral Traditions of the Blackfoot people. I wanted to find out what could be learned about a people through a close examination of their traditions and how those lessons could be used to foster more positive relations among the Blackfoot Nation, and the settler colonial state. For my research, I chose three of the Blackfoot’s Oral Traditions and analyzed them.

The first tradition I chose was the story of “Napi and the Rock”; this story was used by the Blackfoot people, to explain the presence of the glacial erratics throughout the prairies. As the story goes, Napi is walking through the prairies wearing a big buffalo skin robe, when the robe gets too heavy he decides to gift it to The Big Rock (Hodges, 1). After Napi gives his robe to The Rock, the weather turns cold, so Napi steals back his robes from the Rock (Hodges, 1). The rock is, of course, angered by Napi’s actions so he chases Napi across the prairies; the swallows help Napi by pecking at the rock and breaking off little pieces until the rock finally splits in two (Hodges, 1). The Big Rock in this story is the famous Okotoks Rock, which can still be found in Okotoks Alberta.

The story of “Napi and the Rock” serves many purposes. First, it explains something in the natural world that, at the time, would have had no explanation. This is very common in myths and legends, many of them are an attempt to explain something that has no explanation; an example of this is how the Ancient Greeks attributed lightning to Zeus. This story, though, offers more than an explanation to the Okotoks Rock, it also has deeper cultural connotations. The Blackfoot have many traditions featuring Napi; he is one of the most prominent figures in their teachings. In addition to Napi, he is sometimes referred to as the “Old Man”, or the “Trickster”. The fact that Napi is often thought of as a trickster, shows a cultural appreciation for cunning, and mischief. Many First Nations Traditions have a trickster figure; these show a wider range of acknowledgment or for cunning and deviance and how such actions can be beneficial to a society.

In addition to Napi’s actions, the Tradition also shows the reaction of The Rock. The Rock is angered, rightfully so, by Napi going back on his word. The interactions between The Rock and Napi in this Tradition remind me of the relationship between First Nations peoples and Settler Colonialist. Okotoks, the final location of The Big Rock, is in Treaty Seven territory. The way the Canadian Government treated First Nations Peoples in the negotiations of these treaties is very similar to Napi’s treatment of The Rock. Words were said in an exchange, presumably between equals, but when the terms no longer suited one party that party went back on their word. The treatment of First Nations peoples in Canada is, of course, not the same as Napi stealing back his robes, but the metaphor still stands. The themes of betrayal depicted here have many parallels with the treatments of First Nations peoples since the first Europeans arrived in the Americas in the late fifteenth century.

Another Blackfoot Tradition I looked into was the Blackfoot Creation Legend. The legend tells how Napi created various creatures including humans (Firstpeople). It shows Napi creating people from mud. He uses the earth to create the people, showing a deep connection between the people and their land. This Tradition shows a deep relationship with the Blackfoot people and their land. Many settlers lack this respect for land and view themselves as removed from the earth as opposed to a part of it. This legend also shows humans as related to the other animals on the earth. Before Napi creates the humans the is shown creating the bighorn sheep, showing a kinship between the people and the animals with whom they share the land.

The final tradition I looked at was “Napi and the Old Woman”; the legend explained the origins of death. In the story the Old Woman decides that people must die, and remain dead to foster sympathy among people (Obctracker). This legend shows that the Blackfoot people value life. The implications of this Traditions are that the Old Woman decided people should die to discourage murder; so that people wold value the lives of other people.

All three legends show a deep connection between the people and their surroundings. There is a strong emphasis on respect for all things, living and non-living. These Traditions show connections between the people and the land, and teach that all things from the rock, to the animals, to fellow human, must all be granted an equal amount of respect.

Works Cited
Firstpeople.us Native American Legends Blackfoot Creation Story. http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Blackfoot-Creation-Story-Blackfoot.html Accessed April 1, 2017

Hodges Humble, Laurie. The Legend of Napi and the Rock http://www.olsn.ca/fnplw/content/2015/The_Legend_of_Napi_and_the_Rock.pdf Accessed April 2, 2017

Ocbtracker.com Old Man and Old Woman. http://www.ocbtracker.com/ladypixel/oldman.html Accessed April 3, 2017

Reflection

FNIS 100, an introductory course to First Nations and Indigenous studies, was a very enlightening course. The course covered a variety of issues surrounding the lives of Indigenous peoples form the language that is generally accepted when discussing these people and topics, to how media portrayals of Indigenous people can be harmful and used to perpetuate further misinformation and stereotypes. For me personally the class forced me to revaluate how I view and respond to these issues. I was raised in a certain way, with somethings just accepted as fact and the experiences I had as a young person just reinforced these prejudices. This class helped me to move past my own bias and examine the narrative surrounding Indigenous peoples in a new light. I was exposed to other ways of thought that were different from my own and made to reconcile this new information with what I already knew and believed. This class also taught me the language and the protocols to use when navigating these dialogues without causing offence or creating more tension through further miscommunication. The material covered in the course was important but I found the lesson on how to engage with the material and how to remain aware of all of the preconceived opinions one has infinitely more valuable and it is what I will ultimately take form this course.

Big Idea Project_Prospectus

Prospectus

For my Big Idea Research Project, I am investigating the Oral Traditions of the Blackfoot people, that is the myths, legends, and stories that have been passed on from generation to generation for centuries. These narratives are rich in cultural history, and demonstrate the relationship the Blackfoot People had with the land, the animals and each other. These aspects of the Blackfoot culture are vital when understand the people and for forging healthy relationships with them now and in the future.

 

My goal for this research is to determine what oral traditions of the Blackfoot show about the people and the values and how this information can be applied to foster stronger ties with the people. I want to investigate the significance of Napi, sometimes referred to as the Old Man, and how his role in the Blackfoot Tradition can be used to gather deeper knowledge of the people and the roles in respect to nature land and other people.

 

I imagine that my research will show that the people have exceedingly deep connections with the land, and that the figure of Napi served as a way to explain phenomena the people observed in the natural world but had no understanding as to why they occurred. There are multiple stories about Napi that seem to support this hypothesis; in one tradition Napi gifts his warm furs to the rocks and then later gets cold and takes the furs back.  The rocks are angered by this and chase Napi across the prairies until they are finally persuaded to stop. This story was used to explain the presence of the glacial erratics that are scattered throughout much of the Blackfoot people’s traditional territory.

For my final paper, I plan on examining a selection of the traditions of the Blackfoot people. After an initial analysis, I will then compare my findings with those of other academics that have conducted similar research into the narratives that are important in Blackfoot culture. The final portion of my research paper will be a summary of my finding and the implications and possible applications of this research.

 

I will begin by examining a variety of individual traditions and examine whatever implications that these narratives may have in an isolated context. I will then study the broader mythological corpus as a whole unit and draw more concrete conclusions and parallels between the stories. After I have conducted by own analysis I will turn to the work of other scholars are compare my findings with theirs. I will conclude by stating the results of my research and any applications it may have.

 

Big Idea_Literature Review

Big Idea Project- An Exploration of the Oral Traditions of the Blackfoot People

This research project is intended to gain a deeper cultural understanding of the Blackfoot people. By exploring a range of traditional stories and oral traditions passed through the generations, my aim is to gain a better understanding of the Blackfoot peoples and a deeper appreciation of their culture, in addition to gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of oral traditions of all First Nations peoples.

Bastien, Betty. Blackfoot ways of knowing: the worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi. University of Calgary Press, 2004

This source explores the traditions and values of the Blackfoot people. It will help me to contextualize my finding. It will also provide insight as to the role of oral tradition in the lives of the Blackfoot people.

Blackfeetnation.com Our Culture. http://blackfeetnation.com/our-culture/ Accessed February 23, 2017

This source provides an overview of Blackfoot culture. It will help me to gain a better understanding of my research. This source will also help me to contextualize my findings.

Blackfootcrossing.com. Language http://www.blackfootcrossing.ca/language.html Accessed on February 25, 2017

This source provides information on oral tradition and language. It will help me to better understand Orla tradition. It will also provide me with information on the culture of the Blackfoot people.

Blackfootcrossing.ca. Story Telling. http://www.blackfootcrossing.ca/storytelling.html Accessed February 25, 2017

This source contains some examples of Blackfoot stories. I will use this source to analyze these stories. This will add more data to my project and help me get more accurate results.

Dempsey, Hugh A. The vengeful wife and other Blackfoot stories, University of Oklahoma Press, 2003

This source contains a compilation of the stories of the Blackfoot people. It will provide me with examples of Blackfoot stories. Those stories will help me to further my data.

Eli, Shelly Kay. Piikanaikiiks: A Literary Analysis of Blackfoot Oral Stories and the Traditional Roles of Women in Leadership, University of Lethbridge 2011

This source, a paper published by a student at the University of Lethbridge, explores a connection between the role of women in Blackfoot Culture and their traditions. For my research, this source will provide a deeper insight into the stories and oral traditions of the Blackfoot people. Lethbridge was traditionally Blackfoot territory and this research will also provide a connection to the land and the people.

Firstpeople.us Native American Legends Blackfoot Creation Story. http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Blackfoot-Creation-Story-Blackfoot.html Accessed February 24, 2017

This source provides a telling of the Blackfoot Creation Story. It will be useful to my research because it will provide me with example of oral tradition to analyze. It will also be useful to compare this version of the Blackfoot Creation story with others to see if there are any discrepancies and if so what they are.

Fraser, Frances. The Bear who stole the Chinook: Tales from the Blackfoot. Douglas & McIntyre 1990

This source is a collection of Blackfoot stories. It will provide me of example of Blackfoot stories and further my data.

Friesen, John W. and Virginia Lyons Friesen. Oral Tradition is Alive and Well: Living Literature in the Blackfoot (Siksika) Community. University of Calgary, 2007

This source is a paper prepared for Indigenous Literature in Native Studies Panel that occurred in Saskatoon in May 2007. This source will be useful because it will help to provide information about oral tradition in relation to the Blackfoot people.

Glenbow Museum. Legends by Blackfoot Children at Old Sun Residential School. http://www.empire.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/Legends%20by%20Blackfoot%20school%20children%20at%20Old%20Sun%20Residential%20School Accessed February 25, 2017

This source contains version of Blackfoot stories written down by children attending Residential Schools. This source will provide me with firsthand accounts of some of the Blackfoot stories. This source also contains drawing that will help me understand the stories more visually.

Glenbow Museum. Traditional Stories http://www.glenbow.org/blackfoot/EN/html/traditional_stories.htm Accessed February 25, 2017

This source is a collection of traditional First Nation stories compiled on the Glenbow Museum’s website. This source will provide traditional stories of the Blackfoot people which I can then further analyze.

Hodges Humble, Laurie. The Legend of Napi and the Rock http://www.olsn.ca/fnplw/content/2015/The_Legend_of_Napi_and_the_Rock.pdf Accessed February 25, 2017

This source is an account of how Napi split the Okotoks Erratic. This source provides another story which will help diversify my findings.

Learnalberta.ca. The Oral Tradition- Excerpt from Aboriginal Perspectives http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/documents/oral_tradition/oral_tradition.pdf Accessed February 23, 2017

This source, an excerpt from part of the Alberta curriculum. It discusses oral traditions of First Nations people and has a special focus on the Blackfoot. This source will help provide context and insight as to how the Blackfoot people view their own oral traditions.

Maclean, John. Blackfoot Mythology. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol.6 No. 22, American Folklore Society, 1893. pg.156-172

This source contains a variety of Blackfoot stories. It will be useful to help me gain a better understanding of the stories. It will also expose me to new material.

Mysteriesofcanada.com Blackfoot Legends- Napi the Trickster. https://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/first-nations/blackfoot-legends-napi/ Accessed February 23, 2017

This source contains information on Napi. The Blackfoot people believed that Napi, sometimes referred to as the “Old Man”, was their creator. This source will provide a better understanding of Napi and the Blackfoot people.

Penn, W.S. The telling of the world: Native American stories and art, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1996

This source contains myths and legends from a variety of First Nations culture. It will provide be with Blackfoot myths and legends. The source will also give me the opportunity to compare the myths and legends of the Blackfoot people with those of other First Nations.

Pitt.edu. Blackfoot Creation and Origin Myths. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/blkftcreation.html Accessed February 25, 2017

This source contains a compilation of Blackfoot stories. These stories will add to the pool of traditions for me to analyze. Which will help to gain a better understanding of Blackfoot culture.

Schaeffer, Claude E. Blackfoot shaking tent Glenbow-Alberta Institute, 1969

This source provides an in depth look at one of the traditions practiced by the Blackfoot people. It explores the tradition and gives an interpretation of it within its context.

Trailtribes.org. Blackfeet Traditional Culture. https://www.trailtribes.org/greatfalls/since-time-immemorial.htm Accessed February 24, 2017

This source, a website, provides a description of oral tradition, as well as some examples of oral traditions from the black foot people. The information on oral tradition will help me better understand the significance of oral traditions and histories. The oral traditions themselves will help me gain a deeper understanding of the people.

University of Idaho. Oral Traditions and Storytelling. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/traditions.htm Accessed February 24, 2017

This source looks more at oral traditions. It provides a description of what they are and what they mean. It will help me to gain a better understanding of oral traditions.

Evidence Analysis/Close Reading

Every People who has inhabited the Earth has a creation story. Creation stories provide insight as to the relationship the people have with their land and the natural world. The Blackfoot Nation attributes their creation to Napi, sometimes referred to as the “Old Man”. George Bird Grinnell transcribed and published the Blackfoot Indians Stories, in 1913. The creation story included in this collection tells how “the Old Man” created the earth and its inhabitants.
The narrative tells how “in the beginning there was water everywhere” and how the various creatures, the beaver, the otter, the loon, and the muskrat, all dove down to the bottom in an attempt to gather a little mud, mud that Napi would use to craft the earth. In the narrative, the beaver, the otter, and the loon all fail to receive the mud, but at last the muskrat resurfaces with traces on his paws, and these traces are what Napi uses to create the land. Later, after the land and the animals have been created Napi creates people, fashioning them out of clay. In order to create anything out of clay it must be wet, like mud, or it is no longer malleable. The parallels between both the earth, and humans, being created from the mud shows a symmetry, a brotherhood, between the people and the land which they inhabit.
The way the Blackfoot people see themselves in the greater scope of nature shows this deep connection with land, that they come from the land, and perhaps, in a lot of ways they are one and the same. This narrative demonstrates a deeper understanding the people share with the land that is forgotten in colonial discussions about people and their relationship to land.

The information discussed in this post was taken from George Bird Grinnell’s Blackfoot Indian Stories the link to which can be found here.

About Me

My Name is Julie Velasquez. I am a First Year Arts Student at UBC; I am planning on majoring in Political Science. I was born in raised in rural Alberta is a small town of about four hundred people. I am taking a variety of courses including First Nations and Indigenous Studies 100 (FNIS 100). I am taking the course for a multitude of reasons.

In my hometown I was exposed to various prejudices towards First Nations and Indigenous Peoples. It can be argued that some of these prejudices were warranted but most were not. I see these biases all of the time, in my friends, my family, and even myself, and I want to help remedy the discord that has become an almost gut reaction.

Thats is who I am and why I care.

Big Idea Summary

For my “Big Idea Project”, a major component of FNIS 100, a course I am taking a UBC, I have decided to investigate the Myths and Legends of the Blackfoot people. Myths and Legends offer insight into the values and customs of any given people and help to establish greater understanding of their unique culture and heritage. I have chosen the Blackfoot People as the foundation for this project because Southern Alberta, the province in which I was born and raised, was historically Blackfoot Territory. I have seen pieces of their culture at both Writing on Stone Provincial Park, and Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Provincial Park. Both of these parks explain some of the Legends the Blackfoot People had, particularly pertaining to the figure Nappi. The Blackfoot used Nappi to explain things in their physical world, such as the erratics, large rocks distributed across the prairies by glaciers.

With this project, I plan on studying the Legends of the Blackfoot people to maintain a better understanding of the People and Mythology in General. I will look at a variety of myths and their implications. I will investigate Nappi and other prominent figures in Blackfoot Mythical Stories and Legends and see what this reveals about Blackfoot People and the richness of their culture. Legends and Myths provide glimpses in to the culture of people and help one to learn and appreciate the nuances of a that particular culture.

This project will investigate a series of Myths and Legends passed on through the Blackfoot Tradition and what the modern-day implications of that rich history are.

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