Customer Reviews

The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture (Classics of Smithsonian Anthropology Edition)

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This book was a great help in my quest to acquire more information regarding the interaction between the Native American People and their horses. It is very difficult to find any information on this subject, let alone such specific information about the interaction between a particular tribe and their animals. I highly recommend this book. Now someone needs to do the same thing for the other Native American tribes.

I enjoy the authors convictions in preserving the Blackfoot Indian's knowledge of horsemenship. He provides an excellent review of early pre and post white contact and horse knowledge. Out of all the subjects I have studies within the field of Anthropology and the books I have read from archaeological subjects to cultural material of pre contact and paleoindians of the High Plains Ewer's book is by far the best I have studied. I would give my eye teeth to own a copy!!

As an early ethnographer of Native life on the northern Great Plains Ewer's work is always of interest.
He has been criticised for "inaccuracies" but I contend this is unavoidable in any work of ethnology or history. Change over time, inaccuracies of memory, and inconsistent accounts by different informants (and sometimes the same informant) contribute. Difficulties in language interpretation are unavoidable, even in native speakers. (Anyone who has ever played the game "Telegraph" knows this!)
The role of the horse was so central to Plains culture made it a clear window into Native culture in general. As with religion it was inextricably intertwined with most aspects of aboriginal life. Thus, the book treats not only with the horse but with economy, warfare, crafts, religion, nomadic patterns, ownership practices, hunting, and many other aspects of Blackfoot life.
Highly recommended.
Also see the excellent works of Hugh Dempsey, Beverly Hungry Wolf, Adolph Hungry Wolf, Paul Raczka, and Clark Wissler.