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Reviewed by:
  • Rebirth of the Blackfeet Nation, 1912-1954
  • Diana L. Harman, independent scholar
Rebirth of the Blackfeet Nation, 1912-1954. By Paul C. Rosier. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2001. xvii + 346 pp. $65.00 cloth.)

Paul Rosier has given us a clear and in depth history of the Blackfeet Reservation years from 1912 to 1954. Written in a straightforward style, Rosier documents and discusses the complex issues facing the Blackfeet during this reservation period. Rebirth of the Blackfeet Nation is divided into two parts on the basis of the policies of the Federal Government during the years discussed within each section. The first part is dedicated to the years 1912–34 and deals with the formation of the modern Blackfeet Reservation.

Included in Part 1 is an examination of the cultural values, economic conditions, and social forces driving the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and the tribe as a whole. These factors are also discussed in relation to the interactions between the Blackfeet people and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Special attention is also given to Blackfeet reactions to federal policies and the ensuing tribal factionalism associated with such policies. Of particular importance, according to Rosier, is the Blackfeet Nation's acceptance of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). Rosier contends that the Blackfeet accepted the IRA as a means of promoting their own agenda, which closely reflected governmental goals contained in the IRA.

Part 2 discusses the IRA and related Indian New Deal policies that were manipulated by the Blackfeet Nation to improve reservation life. The IRA and Indian New Deal policies discussed by Rosier created economic [End Page 662] opportunities as well as increased tribal factionalism. Although tribal factionalism originally was a division between full-blood Indians and mixed-blood Indians, Rosier documents the changing divisions among the Blackfeet people. In particular, Rosier demonstrates that when policies such as the Indian New Deal are enacted, tribal divisions become associated more with economic factors and class, rather than blood quantum alone. Many of the changes in tribal factionalism can be attributed to the willingness of mixed-bloods to take advantage of IRA programs and their resulting economic success. In contrast, the full-bloods tended to misinterpret the provisions outlined in the IRA and Indian New Deal, causing them to underutilize associated economic programs. Adding to the economic tensions on the reservation were the various governmental programs and directives mandated by Bureau of Indian Affairs officials, which often motivated Blackfeet leaders to pursue self determination and tribal rights more vigorously than they would have otherwise. According to Rosier, the majority of issues fueling the Blackfeet's desire for self determination centered on the lack of tribal control over tribal income and natural resources.

Rosier demonstrates that tribal factionalism and the Blackfeet demand for self determination allowed the Blackfeet to balance their cultural tenets and values with the demands of American democracy, despite the often contradictory role of the Bureau of Indian affairs and other governmental agencies. In addition, Rosier provides an essential history of tribal and governmental interactions that must be read if one wants to understand the current political and economic situations on the Blackfeet Reservation. This book is a valuable resource for individuals interested in the effects of historical Federal policy on American Indian tribes or for students of American Indian studies.

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