Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National Park

by James Willard Schultz, Darrell Robes Kipp (Introduction)

In 1877 Schultz went to Montana for the summer to buffalo hunt. He ended up staying and joining the Blackfeet tribe. He wrote stories that faithfully recorded their culture. These great legends of the Blackfeet will leave you wanting more.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

James Willard Schultz, or Apikuni, (born August 26, 1859, died June 11, 1947) was a noted author, explorer, Glacier National Park guide, fur trader and historian of the Blackfoot Indians.

James Willard Schultz (J.W. Schultz) started writing at the age of 21, publishing articles and stories in Forest and Stream for 15 years. He did not write his first book until 1907 at age 48. The memoir: ''My Life as an Indian tells the story of his first year living with the Pikuni tribe of Blackfeet Indians East of Glacier. In 1911, he associated himself with publishers Houghton Mifflin who published Schultz's subsequent books for the next 30 years. In all, Schultz wrote and published 37 fiction and non-fiction books dealing with the Blackfoot, Kootenai, and Flathead Indians. His works received critical literary acclaim from the general media as well as academia for his story telling and contributions to ethnology. Sometime after 1902, while living in Southern California, Schultz worked for a while as the literary editor of the Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on a reading list for an upcoming Glacier National Park tour . . . I enjoyed it.

Author was an interesting character, who grew up in a well off New York family, but who wanted adventure & got to the West in the late 1870s as a very young man, right as it was undergoing major changes. He married a member of the Blackfeet & lived with them for approximately 20 years, learning the language, becoming part of the clan. He first did fur trading; later was a guide to the area but moved to California after his wife's death.

This book was written after a visit back to the Blackfeet and has his memories of earlier times, people he knew among both the Native Americans and the traders/scouts that were old timers by the time he arrived. It also has a lot of the old Blackfeet folk tales, many about "Old Man", the creator of the world, and a very long one about the beavers, White Fur and his son, Loud Slap. (My favorite of the stories.)

Schultz was well aware when writing this book (published in 1915) that the Blackfeet culture was disappearing fast as the children of the Blackfeet were away in boarding schools, being pushed to forget their language and culture. He has great admiration for his Blackfeet friends and it must have been reciprocated since he was buried by them near Two Medicine River, on their land near Glacier National Park.

[Eric]

Great story telling, and a rare collection of photographs that chronicle the stories of the authors own adopted people. Especially fun to read indigenous tales about origins of places in my northwest Montana backyard

[Mark Isaak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of myth, legend, history, and personal stories by a (then) fur trader who lived with the Blackfeet for years. I read it mostly for the myths, but it would also be of interest to people curious about origins of place names in and around Glacier.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I will read this book again. I really like the storytelling it’s not new but it’s definitely attention-getting and kept me entertained.

[Henry Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd but interesting

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of traditional tales of the Blackfeet people. Remember, these are old tales, from a different time, with a different mindset of today's acceptance of women and men roles.

[Tam G · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting group of stories from the Blackfeet people at the close of the 19th century. A mix of realistic, mythological, and real-becoming-myth stories, including the addition of horses into the life of the People. Nice for what it is, a snapshot of the storylives of the Blackfeet as white folk start entering GNP in greater number.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for research in connection with writing my third novel, but also because my ancestry goes back to the Blackfeet Tribe. Every time I visit Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Tribe another chunk of my heart stays there. The author, James Willard Schultz, died the year I was born. Perhaps I am a small continuation of him and his love for storytelling and the people and places of that vast area. He gave me an even deeper glimpse into the traditions and the places that I long for. My third in the Catherine DeLong Series will follow her search for her ancestors and lead us farther into her story of finding herself. If you want to know more about her journey, read "Unintended Lies" and "Accidental Lives." The third book is unnamed as I maneuver through my research and wait for the right title to present itself. Enjoy...

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting recording of traditional Blackfeet tales recorded a century ago by a man who had married a Blackfeet, lived among them many years and was considered one of them. I liked learning the stories of so many places names in Glacier, such as just who was Running Eagle or Pitamakin, and so on. This is just a sampling and a brief glimpse into the culture, but still interesting.

[CatBee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I should like these stories captured from oral Blackfoot tradition, as I enjoy learning about other cultures, but the first few just followed the usual tribal hostilities and male domination treating women as objects that we still unfortunately see in today's world, and I couldn't stay interested.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. It was really nice to read the stories connected with all so many of the places in Glacier National Park. I recommend it for anyone who is planning to travel there or anyone who enjoys Native American stories.

[John Zunski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Mr. Schultz's account(s) of 'the backbone of the world.' The Blackfeet legends and mythology greatly impacted my understanding and writing about the Blackfeet. If you've ever been or are planning on visiting Glacier, this is a must read.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool stories about/from the Blackfeet oral tradition.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful stories of the Blackfeet.

[Lou]

I found this book on a reading list provided by the Backroads tour company. We are planning a week long excursion to Glacier Waterton national parks and they wanted to read up on the area not having been there before this trip. Oneof the other books on the list was the Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie and boy was that a knockout. this book of tales starts out in detail about the references that got 3 made to his main character when telling and experiencing and reminiscing about interactions with the various Native American tribes in that part of the country.