Grandpa’s Blessing
“Since early in the 17th century,” begins Liang, “when the horse was introduced to the American Indian on the northern Plains, their life was changed forever. The use of the horse for buffalo hunting made the hunt much more efficient and provided the people with a rich bounty. This exuberant scene shows a summer day in the Blackfeet band camp during the 1870s, after the buffalo scouts have located a large herd nearby. The men gather to ready their buffalo horses, while women excitedly prepare packhorses, travois and meat bags for the coming chase! With this excitement also comes concern, for running the wild herds over the broken country of the Western prairies held a high degree of danger for the mounted hunter. In the painting, a grandfather ties an eagle feather on his grandson’s horsetail as a blessing of safety before the run begins.”