0:00
It was around 1850, the middle 1800s, when the buffalo start being wiped out. So
when the buffalo became scarce, instead of letting our form of pictograph writing,
record keeping, die out, we transferred it to paper. And individual warriors would
go to combat. If they lived they would come home and would draw what they did
in combat.
0:20
Swift Dog, he was from a North Dakota Tribe with the Standing Rock Sioux. And in
this instance here, he will probably be attacking his Crow enemy, capturing horses,
capturing people, captured weapons. He wants to come up close. The crow shot two
arrows at him, and missed him, representing the Standing Rock Sioux as power,
spiritual power, to deflect the arrows, to go around him here. He’s going to hit
the Crow with the bow and arrow, but the bow has a spearhead at the end so he’s
going to take his life.
0:50
Before the non-Native people came, we didn’t really kill each other as much in
warfare. We would go and capture horses from our enemy to show them that I have
spiritual power, I can sneak right into your home, take your horses, and take them
back to my camp. And they’re mine because I counted coup on you, representing you
took his honor, his spiritual power in his Tribe, you absorbed it.
1:15
It wasn’t only about combat. I mean, even though it was a combat lifestyle, a
combat form of society, it was also loving and caring. Caring for the elderly
and providing for everybody in the Tribe.
1:28
I’m so proud to be a part of ledger art and its growth and its existence into
the new millennium. This particular piece is Great Northern Railroad, and up top
here represents mountain designs, representing the Glacier Park area where
I live.
1:44
Over here represents Natosi, the sun god. Down below is the train, representing
the Iron Horse, the changing of time. But this is a Blackfeet conductor - he’s
driving. So the Blackfeet have control of their own destiny. Now it’s up to them
what they’re going to become. Down below is a ledger, a Blackfeet cash disbursement
journal and what it is depicting is Blackfeet members of the Tribe. So then you’re
getting into connections to my personal family in my Tribe through this document.
2:15
These shipping statements represent movement of the Tribe because we’re
migratory. Follow the Buffalo, follow the herds. Then the map itself would
represent ownership of land or protecting your homeland. Down below are
rolling hills symbols. These are puffballs that represents stars and the Blackfoot’s
genesis. We believe we interact with people from the stars so we put them on our
ear flaps of our lodges and in our designs. And morning star was the main star-being,
gave us our sun dance healing ceremonies