This website
clearly signifies the traditional beliefs and values the Blackfoot Nation appear
to sustain and are immensely proud of. Their opening greeting to those visiting
the website, somewhat mysteriously, shows how dedicated they are to theses
traditions: " We
are members of the ancient line of Blackfoot people going back before time. We
are the traditional believers in our ancient ways that were given to us by
iits-tsi-pah-ta-pii-op - the Source of Life." Despite this, it is also revealed
that they are "alive in the modern age" and that they "use the
technology of the present era to educate relatives, our friends and ourselves
worldwide."
The continual
use of their own language throughout the website emphasises their pride in what
they consider to be part of their tribal identity. One page on the website,
entitled 'Greater Blackfoot Nation' begins with the phrase "NIITSITAPII
AHSISTO (The Real People Declare)" and thus precedes various declarations
from the tribe, such as their territory: " The recognition
of our Exclusivity of Title to the lands of the traditional Niitsitapii
territory (the North Saskatchewan River in the North, and, South to the
Yellowstone River, and, in the West from the Continental Divide and East to the
Touch Wood Hills); the land which we call Niitsitpiis-stahkoii" and
continue to give an idea of unity within the tribe: " We gather together to help each other in good times and
hard times."
There
is also a sense that this tribe have not forgotten, and will never forget, how
they have been treated in the past, often referring to those who attempted to
"enslave" them with their "genocidal pursuits that seek to kill
us and destroy our cultures" and consequently try to "reject the
dogma of mankind". Therefore, overall, there is an overriding impression that
this tribe are completely independent from everyone else and this, among many
other elements, contributes hugely to their identity.
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