For the first time in 30 years, as I understand it, the Blackfoot Tribe in Southern Alberta allowed a local club to hold a field trial on wild birds in the reservation. I was contacted by the club president early in the spring with the concern of how wet the grounds were. I own a Polaris dealership, and he was hoping I could attend and bring one of our all wheel drive Rangers to pull the dog wagon. This was a continuous trial and all the dogs are loaded in the wagon and swapped out every 30 or 60 minutes depending on the running time for the class. I jumped at the opportunity for two reasons. I trial on foot and this allowed Holly and I to compete without borrowing a horse and the chance to see these legendary virgin prairie grounds were very exciting. The three days that the trials were held did not disappoint; sharp-tail, pheasant, partridge, wild horses, whitetail, mule-deer, song birds, eagles, coyotes, hawks, and a treat I was not expecting.
Saturday evening, after a gourmet hamburger dinner served in typical field trial fashion with a Budweiser, we were joined in our cook-tent by one of the Blackfoot tribe elders, his son and grandson who were both North American Championship dancers. While we sat with the vision of the wild prairie still dancing in our heads he shared with us a story or rather an very old legend that went something like this,
After a particularly harsh winter, in the very early spring, a chief went hunting. His tribe was starving. The buffalo and deer were hard to track and hunt in the deep snow and themselves were becoming scarce. The whispers in the cold wind as it blew over the snow talked about the buffalo disappearing, and hinted of hard times to come. The chief knew he had to feed his family and turned to hunting grouse that were an easy target as they suffered the same fate as the hunters tribe due to the hard winter. After days of hunting, when the late morning spring sun decided to share its warm rays, the hunter went back to his camp and laid out his bounty of many many chickens. The suns warmth lulled him into a trance, and he laid down to rest. Tonight he would return home and be able to feed his family. While he rested he had a vision. One of the Chickens jumped to life and began to speak with him. " Why are you massacarring us? " The chicken spoke of the hardship his family had endured during the winter, and when the promise of spring was on the horizon they were all killed. "Are we to suffer the same fate as our brother the buffalo?" The Chief understood the pain of the chicken, it was the same fate that befalling his kin.
The chicken made the chief an offer, if he would stop killing them he would ensure that the chiefs tribe would never again starve! The hunter agreed and in order to honor this agreement, the chicken explained that the chiefs children and children's children would need to renew this promise every spring. The hunter asked how they were to renew this promise and the chicken began to dance. The hunter watched for a long time. Finally the chicken spoke, "come chief, let us dance together".
When the Chief awoke, the evening sun was beginning to set, he jumped to his feet and all around him laid the chickens he had killed ...silent. He remembered the dance and upon his return he told the tail and taught the dance to his children.
At least that's how I remember it. To follow is the footage of the Blackfoot elder with his sun drumming and singing and his son's son dancing the "Chicken Dance" for us this early spring!
Trent I hope this helps your technique..
Sept. 2011
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