The Piegan, by Edward Curtiss [ca 1900] (Public Domain Image)

The Old North Trail by Walter McClintock [1910]

Walter McClintock went to Montana with a US Forestry Service expedition in 1896. He spent the next four years living on the land with the Blackfeet, one of the most northern of the Great Plains tribes. He was adopted into the tribe by the Chief Mad Dog, and got a chance to learn their traditions firsthand. The book presents Blackfeet folklore and religious traditions in context. The narrative of his gradual adoption into Blackfeet society is a classic Western tale, but it is also a classic of 19th century ethnography. Unfettered by modern anthropological protocols and given total access by his hosts, McClintock produced the primary source on the Blackfeet just after the collapse of their traditional way of life.

Production Note: Due to the number of illustrations in this book, images are presented at about half of the usual resolution. We apologize for the reduced quality, which is needed to control the cost of hosting this book in its entirety.