Blackfoot

Blackfoot, Native North Americans of the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock (see Native American languages). They occupied in the early 19th cent. a large range of territory around the Upper Missouri (above the Yellowstone) and North Saskatchewan rivers W to the Rockies. Their name derives from the fact that they dyed their moccasins black. There were three main tribes—the Siksika, or Blackfoot proper; the Piegan; and the Kainah, or Blood. Although they did not form a unified political entity, they were united in defending their lands and in warfare. The Atsina (related to the Arapaho) and the Athapascan-speaking Sarsi were allied with the Blackfoot group. The Blackfoot were unremittingly hostile toward neighboring tribes and usually toward white men; intrusions upon Blackfoot lands were efficiently repelled. Prior to the mid-18th cent. they had moved into the N Great Plains area, acquired horses from southern tribes, and developed a nomadic Plains culture, largely dependent on the buffalo. Their only cultivated crop was tobacco, grown for ceremonial purposes. With the early coming of the white man, the Blackfoot gained wealth from the sale of beaver pelts, but the killing off of the buffalo and the near exhaustion of fur stocks brought them to near starvation. Presently the Blackfoot are mainly ranchers and farmers living on reservations in Montana and Alberta. They continue to a small degree the rich ceremonialism that earlier marked their religion; important rituals include the sun dance and the vision quest. In 1990 there were 38,000 Blackfoot in the United States and over 11,000 in Canada.

or Blackfeet

Group of Algonquian-speaking Indian peoples in Alberta, Can., and Montana, U.S., comprising the Piegan (Pikuni), the Blood (Kainah), and the Siksika, or Blackfoot-proper. Together they are referred to as Siksika, or Blackfoot, a name thought to have derived from the discoloration of their moccasins with ashes. They were among the first Algonquians to move westward from timberland to open grassland and, later, among the first to acquire horses and firearms. They were known as the strongest and most aggressive military power on the northwestern plains. At the height of their power, in the first half of the 19th century, they held a vast territory extending from northern Saskatchewan to southwestern Montana. Each group was subdivided into hunting bands led by one or more chiefs. These bands wintered separately but came together in summer to celebrate the sun dance. For three decades, beginning in 1806, the Blackfoot prevented American and Canadian settlements from forming in their territory. They signed their first treaty with the U.S. in 1855, after which they were forced into farming and cattle raising. Blackfoot descendants numbered some 90,000 in the early 21st century.

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Blackfoot is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 10,419 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot is designated the "Potato Capital of the World", because it has the largest potato industry in the world. It is home to the Idaho Potato Expo (a museum and gift shop that displays and explains the history of Idaho's potato industry), which is home to the world's largest baked potato and potato chip. Blackfoot is also home to the Eastern Idaho State Fair, which operates between Labor Day weekend and the following weekend.

Blackfoot is the principal city of the Blackfoot, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Bingham County.

History

"Blackfoot" is a name applied to several places in the area, including a mountain range and a small river. The name for the area can be traced back to the summer of 1818 when a group of trappers and traders from the Hudson's Bay Company passed through. Earlier, in 1812, there had been some wildfires, and people who walked through the burned areas got their moccasins all black. While there were no actual Blackfoot people in the area, the traders referred to the people they met in the area as the Indians with the black feet, or the "Blackfoot Crowd", because of the blackened footwear. They went on to call the nearby stream the Blackfoot River and so forth.

The first general store was built in 1874 by Fredrick S. Stevens and Major Danilson after learning that a railroad was to be built in the area. They were hoping that a station would be built there because it was just outside the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, which speculation paid off four years later. October 10, 1878 a post office was established with Theo T. Danilson as Postmaster. November 10, 1878 track was laid through town, with the track running right up behind the Stevens Store to take advantage of the store's loading platform (which was originally used to unload freight wagons). The name of the town was changed to Blackfoot March 20, 1879.

On January 13, 1885 Bingham County was established with Blackfoot as its county seat. Originally the county seat was to be Eagle Rock (now called Idaho Falls). However, the night before its final passage men from Blackfoot bribed a clerk to erase Eagle Rock and write in Blackfoot. The measure went through without opposition and was signed by the governor.

Blackfoot was incorporated as a town in 1907

Geography

Blackfoot is located at (43.190068, -112.346037).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²), of which, 5.4 square miles (14.0 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (4.59%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 10,419 people, 3,685 households, and 2,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,926.4 people per square mile (743.6/km²). There were 3,929 housing units at an average density of 726.4/sq mi (280.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.76% White, 0.21% African American, 2.51% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.33% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.17% of the population.

There were 3,685 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,004 and the median income for a family was $36,553. Males had a median income of $31,489 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,529. About 11.5% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• City website