ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 185 



by putting together certain names which she mentioned and the character 

 of the country as she described it, we found that the tribe to which she 

 alluded lived in New Mexico or Arizona, and were in close contiguity to 

 the domains of the curious Moqui Indians, who build their houses on the 

 clifE tops. The name of the tribe she said was ' Nitsipoie,' and they were 

 near to a people called Moqui-itapi (the Moqui people). It may possibly 

 be from this quarter that the Blackfeet derive their worship of the sun. 

 While travelling among them I saw very few people, whether men or 

 women, who had not suffered the loss of one or more fingers (some as 

 many as four) cut off at the first joint, the severed member having been 

 offered to the sun. The second chief under Crowfoot is named Natiisi- 

 apiw (old sun), and these people during my short visit (six days) did me 

 the honour of adopting me into their nation and giving me the name 

 Natusi-asamiu, which means ' the sun looks upon him.' 



I thought it might further help to decide whence these Blackfeet 

 originally came if I asked what other hostile tribes they had fought with. 

 These are the names of the tribes: — The Kostenai, or River Indians ; the 

 Flatheads ; the Kouminetapi, or Bine Indians ; the Matujokawai, or 

 grasshouse Indians ; the Aksemini Awaksetcikin, or gum getters Csaid to 

 rub gum on the bottom of their feet instead of wearing moccasins) ; the 

 Apaksinamai, or flat bows; the Pitseksinaitapi, or Snake Indians; the 

 Pietapi, or strangers ; the Atokipiskaw, or long earring Indians ; the 

 Istsitokitapi, or people in the centre ; the Awaksaawiyo, or gum eaters. 

 All these they say either live or used to live in and about the Rocky 

 Mountains. Their enemies have also been the Sioux, Crows, Crees, and 

 Nez Perces. 



The fact that these people neither build boats nor canoes, nor eat fish, 

 seems to me another proof that they have not come from the Lake region 

 to the east. 



Some of their Traditions. 



Chief 'Big Plume,' another minor chief in the Blackfoot camp, gave 

 me the following information. I have put it down word for word as it 

 was interpreted to me : — 



How Horses originated. — A long time ago there were no horses. There 

 were only dogs. They used only stone for their arrows. They were 

 fighting with people in the Rocky Mountains. Those people were Snake 

 Indians. They took a Blackfoot woman away south. There were a great 

 number of people down there, and they tied the woman's feet, and tied 

 her hands behind her, and a cord round her waist, and picketed her to a 

 stake near the big salt water. And they cried across the lake, ' See, 

 here is your wife ! ' Then they all retreated and left her. These big lake 

 people did not see her at all ; but the waters rose and covered her ; and 

 when the waters abated, thei'e was no woman there, but there were lots 

 of horses. The Snake Indians caught these horses, and that is how horses 

 began. 



The Creation. — It had been long time night. Napi the Ancient said, 

 ' Let it be day,' and it became day. Napi made the sun, and told it to 

 travel from east to west. Every night it sinks into the earth, and it 

 comes out of the earth again the next morning. Napi is very old every 

 winter, but he becomes young every spring. He has travelled all along 

 the Rocky Mountains, and there are various marks on the mountains 

 "^vhich remain as relics of his presence. Napi said, ' We will be two 



