Connecticut western news., 1877-08-03
The BIackfeet Indians,

The Blackfeet, taken as a body, are still the most numerous and powerful of the nations that live wholly or partly in British North America. In person they have developed an unusual degree e of beauty and symmetry. Though oe less stature than many other Indians. they are still tall and we'll made. Their faces are very intelligent, the nose aquiline, the eyes clear and brilliant, the check-bones less prominent and the lips thinner than usual among other tribes. The dress of the men differs little from the ordinary costume of the Indian of the plains, except 1l being generally cleaner and in better preservation. The Bloods dress more neatly and are finer and bolder-looking men than the Blackfeet, who in turn surpass the Peagins in these respects. The Bloods are said to have among them many mparatively fair men, with gray eyes, and hair both finer and lighter colored than usual in the case of pure Indians. This tribe is supposed to bear it's savage name, not from any particular cruelty of disposition, but because, unlike the other tribes, it's warriors do not steal horses, but only seek for the blood of their enemies, whom they generally overcome, for they are among all the bravest of all the natives. The faces of both Black feet men and women are generally highly painted with vermilion, which seems to be the national color. Tie dress of the latter is very singular and striking, consisting of long gowns, of buffalo-skins, pressed beautifully soft, and dyed with yellow ochre. This is confined at the waist by broad belt oe the same material, thickly studded over with round brass plates, the size of silver half-dollar piece, brightly polished. The Blackfeet, however, in common with other Indians, are rapidly adopting blankets and capotes, and giving up the beautifully painted robes of their forefathers. The ornamental robes that are now made are inferior in workmanship to those of the days gone by.
 The mental characteristics of the Blackfeet resemble closely those of h. dians everywhere. Similar circum- stances give shape and force to thoughts and emotions in all. Intel lectual vigor is manifested in shrewd- ness of observation, and strong powers of perception, imagination, and elo- quence. They are quick of apprehen- sion, cunning, noble minded, and firm of character, yet cautions in manner, and with certain expression of pride and reserve. They are strong and active, and naturally averse to an in dolent habit. Their activity, however, is rather manifested in war and the chase than in useful labor. Pastoral, agricultural, and mechanical labor they despise, as forming sort of degrading slavery. In this they are as proud as the citizens of the old republics whose business was war. Their labors are laid upon the women, who also are upon occasion, the beasts of burden upon their marches; for the egotism Ot the red man, like that of his white brother. makes him regard woman as his inferior, and a predestined servant servant to minister to his comfort and Dl6dSur0s l uO DldCk1O0G nave, more over, both local attachment and g strong patriotic or national feeling, ir which respect they differ favorably from all other tribes. In their public councils and debate theymexhibit 2 genuine, oratorical power, and a keen. ness and closeness of reasoning quite remarkable. Eloquence in public speaking is gift which they earnestly cultivate, and the chiefs prepare them selves by previous reflection and ar
 engagement of topics and methods of ex- , precision. Their scope of thought IS as
 boundless as the and over which they roam, and their speech the echo of tho beauty that lies spread around them t Their expressions are as free and lofty as those of any civilized man, and they speak the voices of the things of eartf and air amid which their wild life il
 cast. Their language being too limited to afford 8 wealth of diction, the. l make up in ideas, in the shape of meta I phor furnished by all nature arount l them, and read from the great bool 0 which day, night, the desert, unfold t. 0 them.-Appleton's Journal.