The Kainai Nation (or , or Blood Tribe) ( bla, Káínaa) is a

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

band government in southern

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada, with a population of 12,800 members in 2015, up from 11,791 in December 2013. translates directly to 'many chief' (from , 'many' and , 'chief') while translates directly to 'many chief people'. The enemy Plains Cree called the Kainai , 'stained with blood', thus 'the bloodthirsty, cruel', therefore, the common English name for the tribe is the ''Blood tribe''. The Kainai speak a language of the Blackfoot linguistic group; their dialect is closely related to those of the

Siksika The Siksika Nation ( bla, Siksiká) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name ''Siksiká'' comes from the Blackfoot language, Blackfoot words ''sik'' (black) and ''iká'' (foot), with a connector ''s'' bet ...

and Piikani. They are one of three nations comprising the

Blackfoot Confederacy The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...

. At the time treaties such as

Treaty 7 Treaty 7 is an agreement between the Crown and several, mainly Blackfoot, First Nation band governments in what is today the southern portion of Alberta. The idea of developing treaties for Blackfoot lands was brought to Blackfoot chief Cro ...

were signed, the Kainai were situated on the Oldman,

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...

, and St. Mary rivers west of Lethbridge,

. The Kainai

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

Blood 148 Blood 148 is a First Nations reserve in Alberta, Canada. It is inhabited by the Blood (Kainai) First Nation and was established under the provisions of Treaty 7. This reserve is managed from the community of Stand Off on its northwest border and ...

is currently the largest in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

with 4,570 inhabitants on and is located south of Calgary.

Economy

The Kainai Nation is engaged in diverse enterprises and they trade with domestic and international partners.

Ammolite Ammolite is an opal-like organic gemstone found primarily along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is made of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which in turn are composed primarily of aragonite, the same mineral co ...

mining for example provides a rare highly demanded gem mineral to Asia for Feng Shui. Ammolite is currently known only to be found in the

Bearpaw Formation The Bearpaw Formation, also called the Bearpaw Shale, is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age. It outcrops in the U.S. state of Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and was named for the Bear ...

as unique conditions of prehistoric times were optimal for the fossilization of marine life into

. Over the years, mining operations have uncovered several oceanic

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

fossils which have been stored for study at the

Royal Tyrrell Museum The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (RTMP, and often referred to as the Royal Tyrrell Museum) is a palaeontology museum and research facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The museum was named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, and is situ ...

; however, they belong to the Kainai Nation.(Lawrynuik)

Specific claims

The Kainai Nation filed many

specific claims Indigenous Specific Land Claims in Canada, also called specific claims, are long-standing land claims made by First Nations against the Government of Canada pertaining to Canada's legal obligations to indigenous communities. They relate to the adm ...

with the federal government. In 2017, a federal court ruled that

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

had underestimated the band's population, which resulted in the band's reserve being smaller than it should have been. As such, the Blood Tribe reserve could be expanded by , but the community could seek a cash-in-lieu-of-land settlement for this claim instead. In July 2019, the Kainai Nation settled a claim over Crown mismanagement of the band's ranching assets. The community received a $150 million cash settlement. Chief Roy Fox said that $123 million of this settlement will be used to develop "housing, capital works, a new administration building and a new skating rink".

Government

Band council

The Kainai Nation is governed by an elected council of twelve to fifteen, with one chief. The term of office is four years. Historical chiefs of the Kainai are below: * Last of the Hereditary Chiefs Traditional Chief Jim Shot Both Sides (1956–1980) * * Chief Chris Shade (1996–2004) * Chief Charles Weasel Head (2004–2016) * Chief Roy Fox (Makiinimaa – Curlew) (2016–Present)

Police force

In pre-treaty times, the ''iikunuhkahtsi'' were a

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

responsible for the punishment of misdeeds. The Blood reserve is currently policed by the Blood Tribe Police, with 31 officers in 2015. Image:George Catlin - Buffalo Bulls Back Fat - Smithsonian.jpg, Stu-mick-o-súcks, Buffalo Bull's Back Fat, Head Chief, Blood Tribe, 1832 by

George Catlin George Catlin (July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American adventurer, lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Traveling to the American West five times during the 183 ...

Image:Chief of the Blood indians War chief of the Piekann indians and Koutani indian 0079v.jpg, Chief of the Blood Indians, War chief of the Piekann Indians and Koutani Indians by

Karl Bodmer Johann Carl Bodmer (11 February 1809 – 30 October 1893) was a Swiss-French printmaker, etcher, lithographer, zinc engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator and hunter. Known as Karl Bodmer in literature and paintings, as a Swiss and French c ...

Image:Edward S. Curtis Collection People 079.jpg, Stsimaki (Reluctant-to-be-woman) - Blood by

Edward S. Curtis Edward Sherriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and on Native American people. Sometimes referred to as the "Shadow Catcher", Curtis travele ...

Image:Apio-mita White Dog - Blood.jpg, Apio-mita White Dog - Blood Image:Niukskai-Stamik Three Bulls Blood.jpg, Niukskai-Stamik Three Bulls - Blood Image:Kaistosinikyi Kill-for-nothing Blood.jpg, Kaistosinikyi Kill-For-Nothing - Blood Image:Atso Tohkomi Call-on-all-sides Blood.jpg, Atso Tohkomi Call-on-All-Sides - Blood Image:1-Astanighkyi Come-singing - Blood.jpg, Astanighkyi Come-Singing - Blood Image:2-Astanighkyi Come-singing Blood.jpg, Astanighkyi Come-Singing - Blood Image:1-Makoyepuk Wolf-child - Blood.jpg, Makoyepuk Wolf-Child - Blood Image:2-Makoyepuk Wolf-child Blood.jpg, Makoyepuk Wolf-Child - Blood Image:A-blood-horseman.jpg, A Blood horseman

Notable people

* Cherish Violet Blood - stage and film actress * Red Crow - 1887 Treaty Number Seven Chief * Byron Chief-Moon - performer and choreographer * Eugene Creighton (Owns Many Horses) *

Eugene Brave Rock Eugene Brave Rock is a Canadian actor and stunt man. Brave Rock started as an actor, before being trained as a stuntman; he later appeared in various minor television roles before landing his first major film role as Chief in ''Wonder Woman''. ...

- actor and stunt man * Faye HeavyShield - artist *

Marie Smallface Marule Marie Smallface Marule (Isstoikamo¹saakii, 1944 – December 31, 2014) was a Canadian academic administrator, activist, and educator. She served as executive director of the National Indian Brotherhood (NIB), chief administrator of the World ...

- academic administrator, activist, and educator *

Natawista Iksina Natawista Iksina (born c. 1825, Alberta, Canada – died March 1893, Stand Off, Alberta, Canada), also spelled Natawista Iksana, Natoyist-Siksina', or Natúyi-tsíxina, was a Kainah interpreter and diplomat. Her father, Two Suns, was a Kainah lead ...

(1825-1893) - interpreter and diplomat *

Jerry Potts Jeremiah “Jerry” Potts (1840 – July 14, 1896), (also known as Ky-yo-kosi, meaning "Bear Child"), was an American - Canadian plainsman, buffalo hunter, horse trader, interpreter, and scout of Kainai (Blood) and Scots heritage. Early li ...

* Pete Standing Alone * Seen from afar (1810-1869) - PEENAQUIM (Pe-na-koam, Penukwiim, translated as seen from afar, far seer, far off in sight, and far off dawn; also known as Onis tay say nah que im, Calf Rising in Sight, and Bull Collar), chief of the Blood tribe of the Blackfoot nation; b. c. 1810, probably in what is now southern Alberta, son of Two Suns; d. 1869 near the present city of Lethbridge, ALB *

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Elle-Máijá Apiniskim Tailfeathers (born in 1986) is a Blackfoot and Sámi filmmaker, actor, and producer from the Kainai First Nation in Canada. She has won several accolades for her film work, including multiple Canadian Screen Awards. Bor ...

- Kainai and

Sámi The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Ru ...

actress, producer,

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

and curatorial assistant * Tom Three Persons - Rodeo athlete and rancher, best known for winning the saddle bronc competition at the inaugural Calgary Stampede in 1912

In popular culture

In 1960, the Kainai and their sacred

Sun Dance The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by some Native Americans in the United States and Indigenous peoples in Canada, primarily those of the Plains cultures. It usually involves the community gathering together to pray for healing. Individua ...

were featured in the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

documentary ''

Circle of the Sun A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

''. Tribal leaders had been concerned that the Sun Dance might be dying out, and had permitted filming as a visual record. In 2006, community leader Rick Tailfeathers contributed a small

ammolite Ammolite is an opal-like organic gemstone found primarily along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is made of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which in turn are composed primarily of aragonite, the same mineral co ...

carving of a buffalo skull to the

Six String Nation Six String Nation is public art and history project conceived by Jowi Taylor and centred around a steel-string acoustic guitar built from a variety of artifacts collected by Taylor representing diverse cultures, communities, characters and eve ...

project. The object was permanently mounted on the interior of ''Voyageur'', the guitar at the heart of the project. Following a presentation about the project in September 2014 at Tatsikiisaapo'p Middle School, project creator

Jowi Taylor Jowi Taylor (born June 15, 1962) is a Toronto-based radio personality, public speaker and originator of the Six String Nation guitar, also known as Voyageur. As a radio broadcaster, producer, writer and host, Taylor is known for his work at CBC Rad ...

was presented with a braid of sweetgrass by school principal Ramona Big Head. The braid resides in the headstock area in the bed of the guitar case. On

National Aboriginal Day National Aboriginal Day (informally National Indigenous Peoples Day) is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. The day was first celebrated in 199 ...

in 2011, the NFB released the ''Pete Standing Alone'' trilogy, which includes ''Circle of the Sun'', ''Standing Alone'' and a 2010 film, ''Round Up'', documenting 50 years of the Kainai Nation as well as the life of elder Pete Standing Alone.

Historical newspapers

* The ''Kainai News'' was one of Canada's first aboriginal newspapers and instrumental in the history of aboriginal journalism in Canada. It was published in southern Alberta by the Blood Indian Tribe and later by Indian News Media. Content focused on a range of local issues within the reserve as well as national issues such as the Indian Act, the

Whitepaper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...

and Bill C-31. Of particular significance are editorial cartoons by Everett Soop which were a regular feature of the newspaper. Its first editor way Caen Bly, granddaughter of Senator

James Gladstone James Gladstone ( bla, Akay-na-muka, script=Latn, italic=yes, lit=Many Guns; May 21, 1887 – September 4, 1971) was a Canadian politician who claimed to become the first Treaty Indian to be appointed to the Senate of Canada. Early life Ja ...

. * The ''Sun Dance Echo'' was a predecessor to the ''Kainai News''. It was edited by Reggie Black Plume and occasionally contained articles by

Hugh Dempsey Hugh Aylmer Dempsey, (November 7, 1929 - May 24, 2022) was a Canadian historian, an author and the Chief Curator Emeritus of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta. Dempsey authored more than 20 books, focusing primarily on the history of people ...

Communities

The Kainai nation communities include:Blood Tribe - About Us & Communities listed * Bullhorn * Fish Creek * Ft Whoop Up * Levern * Moses Lake * Old Agency * Standoff

References

External links

Blood Tribe Information WebKainai Studies - Post secondary educational entity dedicated to Blackfoot teachings

Introduction to photo essay from 'Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life' museum exhibit

''Pete Standing Alone Trilogy''

Brief biography of former chief Roy Fox

Kainai News (1968-1991)

Blackfoot Digital Library

Blood Tribe page at Treaty 7 Management Corporation website
{{Authority control Blackfoot tribe First Nations governments in Alberta