Snakes, grasshoppers, worms, and other insects were never eaten.  Salt was an unknown condiment.  Many are now very fond of it, but I know a number, especially old people, who never eat it.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

The social organization of the Blackfeet is very simple.  The three tribes acknowledged a blood relationship with each other, and, while distinct, still considered themselves a nation.  In this confederation, it was understood that there should be no war against each other.  However, between 1860 and 1870, when the whiskey trade was in its height, the three tribes were several times at swords’ points on account of drunken brawls.  Once, about sixty or seventy years ago, the Bloods and Piegans had a quarrel so serious that men were killed on both sides and horses stolen; yet this was hardly a real war, for only a part of each tribe was involved, and the trouble was not of long duration.

Each one of the Blackfoot tribes is subdivided into gentes, a gens being a body of consanguineal kindred in the male line.  It is noteworthy that the Blackfeet, although Algonquins, have this system of subdivision, and it may be that among them the gentes are of comparatively recent date.  No special duties are assigned to any one gens, nor has any gens, so far as I know, any special “medicine” or “totem.”

Below is a list of the gentes of each tribe.

BLACKFEET (Sik’-si-kau)

Gentes: 

Puh-ksi-nah’-mah-yiks Flat Bows.

Mo-tah’-tos-iks Many Medicines.

Siks-in’-o-kaks Black Elks.

E’-mi-tah-pahk-sai-yiks Dogs Naked.

Sa’-yiks Liars.

Ai-sik’-stuk-iks Biters.

Tsin-ik-tsis’-tso-yiks Early Finished Eating.

Ap’-i-kai-yiks Skunks.

BLOODS (Kai’-nah)

Siksin’-o-kaks Black Elks.

Ah-kwo’-nis-tsists Many Lodge Poles.

Ap-ut’-o-si’kai-nah North Bloods.

Is-ts’-kai-nah Woods Bloods.

In-uhk!-so-yi-stam-iks Long Tail Lodge Poles.

Nit’-ik-skiks Lone Fighters.

Siks-ah’-pun-iks Blackblood.

Ah-kaik’-sum-iks

I-sis’-o-kas-im-iks Hair Shirts.

Ak-kai’-po-kaks Many Children.

Sak-si-nah’-mah-yiks Short Bows.

Ap’-i-kai-yiks Skunks.

Ahk-o’-tash-iks Many Horses.

PIEGANS (Pi-kun’-i)

Ah’-pai-tup-iks Blood People.

Ah-kai-yi-ko-ka’-kin-iks White Breasts.

Ki’yis Dried Meat.

Sik-ut’-si-pum-aiks Black Patched Moccasins.

Sik-o-pok’-si-maiks Blackfat Roasters.