Karen Kay on a Monday

Howdy!

Welcome, welcome to a marvelous Monday!

Before I go into my blog, let me encourage y’all to get the free Pink Pistols magazine, Vol 3 — you can download it here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/zuvkde8oyv — While I don’t usually write short stories, I did write one for this magazine and it’s a fiction story, but was inspired by three different and true stories from the long, long ago (1800’s).  The title is THE COURTSHIP OF MEDICINE PAINT.

And, now for the blog.  When I’m writing, I have pictures, pictures and more pictures surrounding me — also books of all kinds, history, fiction and American Indian legends.  So, today, I thought I’d take you through some recent history (late 1800’s) told in historical pictures.  Now, I’m a romance writer, and so these pictures are most likely of handsome American Indian men.

These first pictures are of the Blackfeet, Northern or Southern Pikuni or Piegan, the Blood and Blackfoot.  Did you know I am adopted Blackfeet?

Isn’t this a beautiful family?  I don’t know the names of these people, but I love this picture.

The picture to the right is of a Blackfeet man with his pipe, encased in a beautiful buckskin  sheath.

Again, I don’t know the name of this man, but I love the picture.

I love this picture here below.  It is of a couple of Blackfoot, Blood Indians.  The Blackfeet/Blackfoot Indians are divided into four different bands of the tribe: The Blackfoot in Canada; the Blood in Canada; the Northern Piegan/Pikuni in Canada; and the Blackfeet or Southern Piegan/Pikuni in Montana.

Below is one of my most favorite pictures and shows the two Blackfeet men, obviously out on the hunt in Glacier Nat’l Park.

I love how this picture shows the admiration for the view they are both witnessing.

This is truly a favorite of mine.

Moving right along to the next picture, is another picture that captures the moment of the times.

This is a picture of another Pikuni/Blackfeet Indian who I believe is carrying a goat on his shoulders.

Again, I really love this picture for its historical value.

For a long time, both my husband and I tried to determine what this man was carrying on his shoulders.  After blowing up the picture considerably, I decided it was most likely a goat.  My husband insists it is a jackalope.

Again, this is a picture of the moment, and it is one of my favorites.

I do believe this next picture might be described as a young Blackfeet warrior.  Please note the rifle he is carrying.

Again, there is so much history in this photograph.  Note the blanket he is wearing, as well as his leggings or perhaps pants underneath it.  Also, notice his moccasins, the pouches he is carrying and the decorations in his hair.  To me, this is a truly amazing photo.

And now, for a photo of an elder of the Blackfeet tribe.

Although I don’t know the name of this warrior, there is so much history in the photo, I feel I should point out some things about it.

One, is the simple feather in his hair.  Next is the single earring we see, as well as how his hair is braided.  The Blackfeet wore three, not two braids.  Two at the side of the face and one in back.

And then there is his shirt.  One of the details I discovered from reading James Willard Schultz’s books is that the Blackfeet men made and decorated their own clothing.

And what a beautiful shirt this man is wearing.  So much detail is there in this picture, I think sometimes this picture alone tells a story

I also think he his holding a spear in his hand and we see the upper part of the spear.

But now for a picture of a couple who are not Blackfeet, but is a photo taken of a medicine man and his wife and child.

I believe the tribe is Kiowa.  The reason I love this picture is because it is of a medicine man and his family.

Notice the rattle he holds in his hand — these were very important to medicine men, as was their medicine drum and drum beater.

For me, this is an important picture because it shows the medicine man as he lived.  In the pictures in the past done by George Catlin and Karl Bodner, we see the medicine man painting usually dressed in his medicine clothing and one doesn’t get to see the man, himself.

Here we see the medicine man as he was probably known in his everyday life.  Notice, also the tepee in the background.

Since I am writing about the medicine men, this is a picture that I admire.  And, I am so glad that someone long ago got this couple to pose for the picture.

Well, that’s all for today.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this history in pictures blog.

My wish is for y’all to do well.