The Piegan View of the Natural World, 1880-1920

Author

Rosalyn R. LaPier, The University of MontanaFollow

Year of Award

2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

History

Department or School/College

Department of History

Committee Chair

Jeff Wiltse

Commitee Members

William Farr, Wade Davies, Trent Atkins, Frederick Hoxie

Keywords

Blackfeet, Environmental, Montana, Piegan, Religion, Reservation life

Publisher

The University of Montana

Abstract

This dissertation is a new interpretation of the stories told by the Piegan people (now known as the Blackfeet) from 1880-1920, about their relationship with the natural world. It is a history of the transition to reservation life, the economy of the reservation, individual Piegan who told stories, the ethnographers who recorded the stories and what those stories tell us about Piegan views of the natural world. It is a blend of different methodologies within history: archival research, ethnohistory, oral history and first-person narrative. This new interpretation argues that although the transition to reservation life was difficult, the Piegan worked with ethnographers to share their stories, religious ideas and their view of the natural world which provided them stability and continuity since ancient times.

Recommended Citation

LaPier, Rosalyn R., "The Piegan View of the Natural World, 1880-1920" (2015). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 4582.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/4582