Blackfoot War Art

"War and associated rituals were essential facets of Blackfoot culture, and the war ethic was a powerful unifying force among the tribes. During the reservation years, pictographic representations of warfare played an important role in keeping this spirit alive and in solidifying the social and political organization of the four tribes of the Blackfoot nation -- Siksika, Blood, and North and South Piegan. In this visually stunning survey, L. James Dempsey, a member of the Blood tribe, plumbs the breadth and depth of warrior representational art to show how interrelated these experiences were among the four tribes. He has mined archival resources and museum collections and interviewed many tribal members to provide a uniquely Native perspective on the importance of warrior art in Blackfoot history and culture"--Jacket.