TRACKING CHIEF SPOTTED EAGLE
A reader spotted info in my previous blog, the one rendered zombie by Google [prairiemary.blogspot.com] and asked me for specifics about her ancestors. She’s been searching through genealogical DNA, which seems to me pretty unreliable given how unreliable researchers are, how many of them are using dubious scientific background to make sales, and how little DNA can inform anyone when the cultural practices of the original Blackfeet were then so distorted they were in the transition period between genocide and bureaucratic control. This often includes confusion about family patterns and leaves people worrying about polygamy and child marriage.
I do not do family histories with any focus nor do I have a database, but I have three dependable resources I keep as desk references. One is the amazing “Blackfeet Census of 1907–1908” which was found as a box of index cards listing people and their families and typed off to be bound and published. A second edition needs to be published. It was followed up by a second book, “1998 Blackfeet Treasures and Gifts” published by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and Roxanne De Marce. De Marce has been the energy and skill behind both these books.
This time a woman was trying to discover her ancestors and could trace back to 1840 when Spotted Eagle was born. This man was one of the early chiefs, much respected as a leader and a ceremonialist. I typed off for her the info that was in “Blackfeet Census of 1907–1908”. The Medium.com layout did not bring my underlining and so on, meant to make the relationships clearer.
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JAMES SPOTTED EAGLE (36 yrs) 3/4 Piegan
Father: Spotted Eagle, deceased
his parents unknown
Mother: Beaver Woman, deceased
BW’s father: Many Tail Feathers, deceased
BW’s mother unknown
Paternal (Spotted Eagle I) uncles and aunts:
Stuffed Up, a half-brother living in Canada
Giving Back, sister and widow of Spotted Eagle
Many Tail Feathers, half-brother
Maternal uncles and aunts unknown
Brothers and Sisters:
Tom Spotted Eagle, half-brother
Joseph Spotted Eagle,
Lucy, wife of Wades-in-the Water, half-sister
Nellie, wife of Running Crane
Wife: Mary Spotted Eagle, 25 yrs, full Piegan
married 18 years ago by the priest at the Holy Family Mission
Her Father: Starts After Him Alone, deceased, parents unknown
Her Mother: Black Stripes in the Back, wife of Owl Top Feathers
Father of BSB is unknown.
Mother of BSB is Cuts Alone, living
Her brothers and sisters: Round Face, half-sister, single, five years old, lives with father,
MSE’s first husband: Peter Marcereau, no children.
This couple lives on White Tail Creek, Heart Butte.
JOHN SPOTTED EAGLE, 26 years, 3/4 Piegan
Father: Spotted Eagle I, deceased
His father: whiteman deceased (name or race?)
His mother: unknown
Mother: Handing Back, living
HB’s parents are unknown.
Brothers and sisters:
Tom Spotted Eagle, half-brother
Lucy Wades in the Water, full-sister
James Spotted Eagle, half-brother
Nellie Running Crane, half-sister
Joe Spotted Eagle, full brother
Wife: Julia Spotted Eagle, 23 years, 3/4 Piegan
Married 6 years ago at the Holy Family Mission by the priest.
JSE’s Father: Charley Rose, half-breed, living.
His parents are unknown
JSE’s Mother: Good Success, living
. GS’S father: Running Crane, deceased.
THOMAS SPOTTED EAGLE, 36 years, 3/4 Piegan
Father: Spotted Eagle I
His father: unknown whiteman
His mother: Kit Fox Woman, full piegan, deceased
Mother: Beaver Woman, deceased.
BW’s father: Many Tail Feathers
BW’s mother: unknown
Paternal aunts and uncles:
Giving Back, widow of Spotted Eagle i
Many Tail Feathers, half-brother
Brothers and sisters:
Millie Running Crane, full sister
James Spotted Eagle. full-brother
Lucy, wife of Wades in the Water, half-sister
John and Joseph Spotted Eagle
Wife: Spotted Eagle, 24 years, full Piegan
Her father: Fox Head, deceased.
Her mother: Hawk, deceased
Hawk’s father: Coming Up Hill Zig Zag, deceased.
Hawk’s mother: unknown
Her sister, Isabelle, wife of Eddie Big Beaver, full- sister
Her sons: Vincent, 5 years
Frank, b. Jan 7, 1908
Lives on North Fork of White Tail Creek.
____________________________________
I don’t type off this material idly because it is hard to interpret and I’m too old to see very well or type very accurately. But at the time I was being attacked by anti-white people on Twitter and needed a compensation.
Once started on the project, I went to my second reliable source which anti-whites also attack: the life work of Adolf Hungry Wolf who came from California a few years later than I came from Oregon in the Sixties. He had a collection of old photos and would take the suitcase of them to powwows and other meetings where there were liable to be old people. “Who are these folks?” he would ask, “What are they doing?” He wrote the info on the backs of the photos. Since he was already a trained historian, he visited libraries and archives in order to make copies of all relevant documents and added them. Towards the end of his life, he compiled everything into four massive books he called “The Blackfoot Papers.”
Vol.One Pikunni History and Culture
Vol Two Pikuni Ceremonial Life
Vol. Three: Pikuni Portfolio
Vol Four: Pikuni Biographies
In the beginning this “museum in a box” was expected to sell, but it is formidably expensive and indigenous people never have enough money, nor was there any reason for white people to pay any attention. I advise people who want this material but can’t afford it to use library loan or actually go to a library or university, though it will take many visits to read everything.
Since it didn’t sell, the remainders of “The Blackfoot Papers” were donated by Adolf to the Browning Public Schools to manage. It has been hard for them to find people who understand how to promote, accept online orders, invoice and ship, keep records, and store the books. They have dozens of books to sell, mostly written and printed by the tribe or the school. https://www.blackfootpapers.com/product/blackfoot-papers/
I bought this set of books when they were first published and less expensive. They are invaluable because they are not interpreted — merely presented as they were found. I use them all the time. When I looked for Spotted Eagle, I found that many of the stories about and by him were from another on-the-spot valuable book: “The Old North Trail” by Walter McClintock, also white but on the scene in early days. Paperback versions of this book are stored away in many local households. Again, it includes photos. Much more inexpensive, it can be found in many sources including wicked Amazon. I used to use it as a textbook for English classes.
“The Old North Trail: Life, Legends and Religion of the Blackfeet Indians”
by Walter McClintock
In a future post I’ll summarize what I found out about Spotted Eagle #1 and his family, which will surprise some people.
