252 TRANSACTIONS OK THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. IV. 



crens, whose interests he attends to at the meetinirs of the council. 

 Each member of the gens is specially protected by the minor chief. 

 When Cro.vfoot, the principal chief of the Blackfoot tribe, was alive, the 

 people belonging to the three tribes spoke respectfully of him, and had 

 there been a supreme head for the Confederacy there is no doubt but 

 that he would have been elected to that position, but whenever he visited 

 the Blood Indians he did not preside at the council, but was treated as 

 an august member of the Confederacy. Questions of a federal nature 

 were submitted to him, as to the supreme heads of the other tribes. 

 The Indians are a people jealous of their rights, and no one, no matter 

 how noble his character and great his position, would accept of honours 

 or usurp authority. 



The war chief is the head warrior of his tribe. In the ancient days 

 the mode of election was conducted in the following manner : When a 

 warrior had shown himself to be especially brave, giving evidence of great 

 courage, good judgment and honesty, and had won the esteem and 

 affection of his tribe, the camp-criers, who were invariably old men, went 

 among the lodges visiting the people and extolling the virtues of their 

 candidate. By this means all the people soon learned the name of the 

 candidate and his claims for the position. This action of the criers was 

 kept up until the sun dance ceremonies were in full operation, and then 

 the warriors mentioned the name of the man desired for the position. 

 They expressed their wish for the election of their candidate. The 

 person designated for the position was then placed in the centre of the 

 medicine lodge, and the people declared him elected as war chief of 

 the tribe by assenting with their voices. A rival candidate was easily 

 thrust aside through the influence of the camp-criers. The criers were 

 skilful in all matters affecting an election, so that it was a settled question 

 who was to be the war chief before the sun dance began. 



The duties of the war chief were to make arrangements for war, and to 

 lead the warriors to battle. Virtually, he was supreme in the camp during 

 a period of war. War could not be resolved upon without the concur- 

 rence of the council. At this council the peace chief presided. Small 

 parties might go out to make raids upon their enemies, for the purpose 

 of stealing horses, but these were of such minor importance that nothing 

 was thought of them. When, however, the war was of a tribal character 

 the council must decide, and when the decision was favourable to war, the 

 war chief had almost, if not altogether, the sole control of the camp. At 

 a council meeting presided over, some years ago, by Red Crow, the 

 peace chief of the Blood Indians, to consider the question of going to war 

 against the Sioux Indians, who were supposed to be within the territory 

 of the Blackfeet, and therefore guilty of trespassing, it was decided to go 



