Blackfoot

The Blackfoot, or Blackfeet, are Indigenous peoples of the Northern Great Plains. They are traditionally organized in the Blackfoot Confederacy, comprising the Siksika Nation, Kainai Nation, and Piikani Nation in Canada; the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, United States, is the corresponding group with historical and cultural ties to the Confederacy. Today the people are recognized as distinct political entities in Canada and the United States, but they share a common language and cultural heritage.

The Blackfoot language belongs to the Algonquian language family and has several dialects corresponding to the confederacy’s nations. Efforts are ongoing in both Canada and the United States to revitalize and preserve the language through education and community programs.

Historically, the Blackfoot were among the Plains region’s prominent hunter-gatherer societies, developing mobility and specialized buffalo-hunting economies after the introduction of the horse. They engaged in extensive trade and diplomacy with neighboring tribes and with European traders. In the 19th century, treaties and the creation of reserves altered traditional lands and ways of life, as governments pursued land cessions, annuities, and education initiatives.

In contemporary times, the Blackfoot Confederacy continues as distinct political entities in Canada and the United States. Communities maintain cultural practices such as ceremonies, storytelling, beadwork, and regalia, while language preservation and education initiatives seek to sustain traditional knowledge. The term Blackfoot remains common in broader usage, while the nations pursue governance and cultural stewardship under their own names.