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This photo is of an unidentified Blackfoot warrior was taken in the late some time between 1875 and 1890. It was published as a greeting card by the firm of Calgary, Alberta. This photo was produced by the Albumen process and is mounted on a 6 1/2″ X 4 1/4″ card and the Image is 5 1/2″ X 4 1/16″ An original is in the Indigenous Photograph Collection (some of which are in the Prairie Roots Collection) housed at the University of Alberta’s Bruce Peel Special Collections.

Blackfoot Warrior / Native American Indian
A Blackfoot Warrior

Although this was a studio photograph and therefore the warrior was posed with his regalia and pipe, it is still is an amazing photograph that gives lets one appreciate the man’s strength of character and purpose. He looks very much like the warrior he is, and would have been a formidable opponent.

How did this proud Blackfoot warrior come to pose for the photographer? We may never know the story behind the photo.

The original labeling on the back of the card reads “Blackfoot Brave.”

Back of the card.
Back of the Card

Below are some enhanced images taken from the portrait, showing interesting details of this Blackfoot warrior’s dress and his features.

Blackfoot (native American) jewelry.
Closeup showing detail of the warrior’s intricate jewelry clasps as well as some of the beads in his hair.

Native American (Blackfoot) headdress / Warrior
Closeup of the Blackfoot Warrior’s Face Showing His Headdress With Feathers. I am not sure whether the hair decorations are authentic or if they were chosen by the photographer.

The Blackoot tribe (also called the Blackfeet) are an Indigenous people (Native American) now living mainly in Montana, in the United States, and Alberta, Canada. The Blackfoot were originally a nomadic people, living by hunting bison (buffalo) throughout the American Mid West and parts of the Canadian prairies. They originally comprised a Confederacy of linguistically and ethnically related tribes, known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, called Niitsitapi or Siksikaitsitapi in their own language (meaning “the people” or “Blackfoot-speaking real people”).

Below is a photo showing what life was like for the Blackfoot as they transitioned from a purely nomadic lifestyle to enforced sedentary life on a reservation. Note the tipis isolated amid the endless prairie and several horses in the background. Imagine what strength it took to survive harsh winters on a windswept plain with only the leather of your tent to keep the cold out.

Traditional Indian tents (tipis)
Blackfoot Tipis (Tee-pees) – Traditional Tents

Although the people pictured here are still living in their traditional tents, ideal for a nomadic lifestyle, their way of life was already threatened. This photo was taken on a Blackfoot reserve in Canada, meaning that these proud people had already been subjugated to the dictates of Indian Agents and other government officials.

Below is a magnified detail from the same photo showing the people next to the tent. The man in front is dressed as a warrior; the people behind him, near the back of the tipi, are wrapped in blankets.

Blackfoot people with tipi and horses.
Blackfoot Tipi with Horses

The Blackfeet were eventually forced to give up their nomadic lifestyle and were more or less forcibly settled on reservations in the United States and Reserves in Canada.

More information on the Blackfoot indigenous people can be found here:

The man in the photo was a defender of his tribe and his people. However the tides of change had swept over the prairies and soon the warrior’s bravery would yield to the overwhelming firepower of maxim guns and repeater rifles. Fortunately this moment in time, and a way of life, has been preserved in this beautiful vintage photo of the Blackfoot warrior.

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illustrob

illustrob

I am the main archivist and collector of vintage photographs that you see on this site. It is my pleasure to explore the old days with you and bring the past back to life through the photos and images of the 1800s and 1900s.

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