FOREWORD

This paper, The Blackfoot, is one of many prepared by a special research group employed under the Civil Works Program of 1933-34 by the Field Division of Education, National Park Service, Berkeley, California. Its purpose is to satisfy specialized needs existing in the National Park Service and it must not, therefore, be judged or regarded as a complete statment of the subject with which it deals.

The objective of this paper is the compilation of such pertinent information as will be helpful in the preparation of ethnographic museum exhibits at Glacier National Park, and more specifically to outline the story to be interpreted by such exhibits and to aid museum preparators and Park Naturalists. Consequently it stresses those aspects of Blackfoot culture which are most adaptable to simple and effective museum display and treats but lightly those phases which cannot be objectively presented in the Museum. For this reason the reader seeking a complete picture of the Blackfoot may be disappointed. Nevertheless, such interest has been manifested in the group of research papers of which this is a part, that it seems worth while to make some of them available in this mimeographed form. Certainly this paper should be of value as an introduction to the Blackfoot, particularly in view of its intensive bibliography.

In line with the original purpose for which the paper was prepared, the reader will find a number of specific suggestions for museum display. As some copies will go to persons interested in the subject of museum presentation, these display suggestions have been retained.

The format of the paper has been slightly modified from customary scholarly standards in order to save time and expense in mimeographing. Foot notes have been virtually eliminated and citations and comments are included in parentheses in the body of the text.

This bulletin produced with assistance of personnel provided through W.P.A.

Last Modified: Sat, Mar 22 2003 10:00:00 am PDT berkeley/steward/stewarda.htm