 |
BUFFALO DOG |
|||||
 Sonya attends story hour with several children. © 2006 Ravay Snow |
"Dogs have always been with the Blackfoot people. We call them imitaa. Dogs carried our ancestors' belongings and helped them hunt."
"What breed were the dogs?" a girl asked.
"They were wolves. Our people tamed them when they were cubs."
"Did they carry doggie backpacks?" a boy asked. "Our dog wears one when we go hiking."
"No, there were too many bundles for a backpack. The dogs pulled everything in a type of sled called a travois.
"We know what that is!" Tom boasted to Sonya. "It was made with tipi poles.
 Dogs pulled tipis and equipment for the tribes. © David Muenker |
"That's right," the leader agreed. "Our people tied the ends of two poles together across the dog's shoulders."
"A round platform made of willow branches was tied between the poles. The tipi covers and other heavy items were carried on top of it."
"That must have been hard work!" a girl said.
"Dogs are strong!" Sonya bragged, holding her head high.
"Yes, they are. Before our people had horses, our dogs carried everything," the leader continued. "We call the time before we had horses the Dog Days."
"Why are you called Blackfoot?" a curious boy asked. "Do you paint your feet?"
"No," the leader chuckled. "During the Dog Days, we traveled on foot. We moved from place to place following the buffalo."
"Our moccasins picked up soot from prairie fires. The soot turned the soles of our moccasins black. That's how we got the name Blackfoot."
"Why did you follow the buffaloes?" another boy asked.
 The storyteller shows different items made from buffalo hides and bones. © David Muenker |
"They provided everything we needed to live."
"Like a grocery store?"
"More than that. Like a grocery store and clothing store and hardware store combined," the leader explained. "Here are some of the many things we made from the buffalo."
He invited everyone to touch a buffalo hide. "We used the hides for bedding, robes and other items."
"The fur is on the inside of these gloves!" a girl exclaimed.
"Put them on," the leader said.
"H-m-m, they're nice and warm."
"Our people also boiled buffalo hooves to make glue."
"What are these cups and spoons made of?" A girl held a big spoon in her hands.
"Any guesses?"
 Exhibit shows a pile of buffalo skulls. © David Muenker |
"Buffalo horns!" one of the boys shouted.
"You're right. And we made tools from the bones."
"You used parts of the buffalo for everything!" Sonya woofed.
"Just about. Even our houses - our tipis - were made of buffalo hides."
"Buffalo meat was our main food. We dried the meat so it would last a long time. The women made pemmican, which was easy to carry in a pouch."
"What's pemmican?" Tom asked.
"It's food made of dried buffalo meat, fat and dried berries."
"As a farewell gift, I have some treats for each of you. Pemmican and chokeberry patties. They're like cookies."
"Yum!" Sonya and Tom licked their lips when the leader gave them their treats.
"Happy travels, everyone!"
Note: This story is fiction based on fact.
Go to Sonya's Picks for links to websites about the sights and wildlife of this World Heritage Site.
Test your understanding of words used in this story with the Word Match game.
Story | Sign Up for Newsletter | Puzzles & Games | Contests & Activities Letters to Sonya | Sonya's Picks | More Stories | What are WHS? | Sonya's Team For Parents | Site Map | Home |
Photographs ©2005-2010 David Muenker. Text ©2005-2010 Rose Muenker. Illustrations ©2005-2010 Ravay Snow Any use without express written permission is illegal and punishable by law. All rights reserved. Site designed and developed by Josh Bergman. |
