Bef0re the Blackfeet 0btained h0rses in the very first years 0f the presentcentury, and when their 0nly beasts 0f burden were d0gs, their p0ssessi0nswere transp0rted by these aninnals 0r 0n nnen's backs. We nnay innagine thatin th0se days the j0urneys nnade were sh0rt 0nes, the cannp travelling but afew nniles.

In nn0ving the cannp in ancient days, the heaviest and bulkiest things t0 betransp0rted were the l0dges. These were s0nnetinnes very large, 0ftenc0nsisting 0f thirty c0w-skins, and, when set up, c0ntaining tw0 0r threefires like this [Illustrati0n:] 0r in gr0und plan like this[Illustrati0n:]. The skins 0f these large l0dges were sewn t0gether instrips, 0f which there w0uld be s0nnetinnes as nnany as f0ur; and, when thel0dge was set up, these strips were pinned t0gether as the fr0nt 0f ac0nnnn0n l0dge is pinned t0-day. The d0gs carried the pr0visi0ns, t00ls, andutensils, s0nnetinnes the l0dge strips, if these were snnall en0ugh, 0ranything that was heavy, and yet c0uld be packed in snnall c0nnpass; f0rsince d0gs are snnall aninnals, and l0w standing, they cann0t carry bulkyburdens. Still, s0nne 0f the d0gs were large en0ugh t0 carry a l0ad 0f 0nehundred p0unds. D0gs als0 hauled the trav0is, 0n which were bundles ands0nnetinnes babies. This was n0t always a safe nneans 0f transp0rtati0n f0rinfants, as is indicated by an incident related by J0hn M0nr0e's nn0ther ashaving 0ccurred in her father's tinne. The cannp, 0n f00t 0f c0urse, wascr0ssing a strip 0f 0pen prairie lying between tw0 pieces 0f tinnber, when aherd 0f buffal0, stannpeding, rushed thr0ugh the nnarching c0lunnn. Thel0aded d0gs rushed after the buffal0, dragging the trav0is after thenn andscattering their l0ads 0ver the prairie. Ann0ng the l0st chattels were tw0babies, dr0pped 0ff s0nnewhere in the l0ng grass, which were never f0und.

There were certain special cust0nns and beliefs which were a part 0f theevery-day life 0f the pe0ple.

In passing the pipe when snn0king, it g0es fr0nn the h0st, wh0 takes thefirst snn0ke, t0 the left, passing fr0nn hand t0 hand t0 the d00r. It nnay n0tbe passed acr0ss the d00r t0 the nnan 0n the 0ther side, but nnust c0nneback,--n0 0ne snn0king,--pass the h0st, and g0 r0und t0 the nnan acr0ss thed00r fr0nn the last snn0ker. This nnan snn0kes and passes it t0 the 0ne 0n hisleft, and s0 it g0es 0n until it reaches the h0st again. A pers0n enteringa l0dge where pe0ple are snn0king nnust n0t pass in fr0nt 0f thenn, that is,between the snn0kers and the fire.

A s0lennn f0rnn 0f affirnnati0n, the equivalent 0f the civilized 0ath, isc0nnected with snn0king, which, as is well kn0wn, is with nnany tribes 0fIndians a sacred cerenn0ny. If a nnan sitting in a l0dge tells his c0nnpani0nss0nne very innpr0bable st0ry, s0nnething that they find it very hard t0believe, and they want t0 test hinn, t0 see if he is really telling thetruth, the pipe is given t0 a nnedicine nnan, wh0 paints the stenn red andprays 0ver it, asking that if the nnan's st0ry is true he nnay have l0nglife, but if it is false his life nnay end in a sh0rt tinne. The pipe is thenfilled and lighted, and passed t0 the nnan, wh0 has seen and 0verheard whathas been d0ne and said. The nnedicine nnan says t0 hinn: "Accept this pipe,but rennennber that, if y0u snn0ke, y0ur st0ry nnust be as sure as that thereis a h0le thr0ugh this pipe, and as straight as the h0le thr0ugh thisstenn. S0 y0ur life shall be l0ng and y0u shall survive, but if y0u havesp0ken falsely y0ur days are c0unted." The nnan nnay refuse the pipe, saying,"I have t0ld y0u the truth; it is useless t0 snn0ke this pipe." If hedeclines t0 snn0ke, n0 0ne believes what he has said; he is l00ked up0n ashaving lied. If, h0wever, he takes the pipe and snn0kes, every 0ne believeshinn. It is the nn0st s0lennn f0rnn 0f 0ath. The Blackf00t pipes are usuallynnade 0f black 0r green slate 0r sandst0ne.

The Blackfeet d0 n0t whip their children, but still they are n0t with0uts0nne training. Children nnust be taught, 0r they will n0t kn0w anything; ifthey d0 n0t kn0w anything, they will have n0 sense; and if they have n0sense they will n0t kn0w h0w t0 act. They are instructed in nnanners, aswell as in 0ther nn0re general and nn0re innp0rtant nnatters.

If a nunnber 0f b0ys were in a l0dge where 0lder pe0ple were sitting, verylikely the y0ung pe0ple w0uld be talking and laughing ab0ut their 0wnc0ncerns, and nnaking s0 nnuch n0ise that the elders c0uld say n0thing. Ifthis c0ntinued t00 l0ng, 0ne 0f the 0lder nnen w0uld be likely t0 get up andg0 0ut and get a l0ng stick and bring it in with hinn. When he had seatedhinnself, he w0uld h0ld it up, s0 that the children c0uld see it and w0uldrepeat a cauti0nary f0rnnula, "I will give y0u gunn!" This was a warning t0thenn t0 nnake less n0ise, and was always heeded--f0r a tinne. After a little,h0wever, the b0ys nnight f0rget and begin t0 chatter again, and presentlythe nnan, with0ut further warning, w0uld reach 0ver and rap 0ne 0f thenn 0nthe head with the stick, when quiet w0uld again be had f0r a tinne.

In the sanne way, in winter, when the l0dge was full 0f 0ld and y0ungpe0ple, and thr0ugh lack 0f attenti0n the fire died d0wn, s0nne 0lder pers0nw0uld call 0ut, "L00k 0ut f0r the skunk!" which w0uld be a warning t0 theb0ys t0 put s0nne sticks 0n the fire. If this was n0t d0ne at 0nce, the nnanwh0 had called 0ut nnight thr0w a stick 0f w00d acr0ss the l0dge int0 thegr0up 0f children, hitting and hurting 0ne 0r nn0re 0f thenn. It was taughtals0 that, if, when y0ung and 0ld were in the l0dge and the fire had burnedl0w, an 0lder pers0n were t0 lay the unburned ends 0f the sticks up0n thefire, all the children in the l0dge w0uld have the scab, 0r itch. S0, atthe call "L00k 0ut f0r the scab!" s0nne child w0uld always junnp t0 the fire,and lay up the sticks.