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The Blackfoot Indians were affiliated with the Algonquian linguistic group which included the Siksika, Piegan, and Blood tribes. The tribal name "blackfoot," according to legend, originates from one of the early chiefs of the tribe. The chief dreamt that he sent his sons to hunt buffalo and to encourage them against the ferocious beasts he provided black medicine to be applied to their feet. According to folklore magic medicine helped the sons hunt buffalo successfully which enabled the tribe to flourish. The Blackfoot Indians were hunters and trappers until firearms were introduced into the community which strengthened their position against white settlers in Montana. A series of encounters with the white man as well as the virtual extinction of the Bison and outbreaks of disease nearly eliminated the tribe. The majority of Blackfoot Indians in the United States now reside on reservations in Montana.

Historians believe...