These Century-Old Photos Of Alberta’s Native Americans Offer A Haunting Glimpse Into The Past

Who are the members of Alberta’s First Nation? These people have lived in Canada for 11,000 years, but now only some snapshots are found. The lifestyle of this tribe is a thing of the past now. If you want to discover how they looked or dressed up, then some old pictures are there that will give you a sneak peek into their life. During the 15th century, when the European settlers came to Canada, it had already established a kind of complex society. These communities used to pass on their knowledge and traditions verbally to the next generation. The society used to be matriarchal in structure. Canada, at that time, had three different tribes, Alberta, Cree, and Blackfoot. Amongst them, the Cree are the ones whose descendants make up for the major Native American population you will find in Canada. The first explorer arriving at Newfoundland was a Frenchman, Jacques Cartier in 1534. However, not before 1788, did the settlement started where the fur traders came looking for opportunities and then the migrants followed. By 1870, infiltration of several things, including liquor and weaponry wreaked havoc on the tribes. Moreover, the bison of the region were hunted at a large number leaving the people of the tribes on the verge of starvation. Then came a time, when European diseases affected the Alberta’s First Nations and they were unable to protect their own land. Therefore, they went for the agreement where they will be given the governmental support and reservations. Even after 150 years, these agreements are still defining the position of the tribes. The First Nations tribe used to live in a lodge with their family or group with a male chief. While all these things were happening, a decade later, Harry Pollard was born in Ontario. Just like his father, he also took up photography as his profession. He was the one who has been photographing the Blackfoot for a long period and highlighting the changes in their lifestyles. Through these photographs, the world came to see how the First Nation tribes dressed up and what their daily chores were. There was a particular headgear that few men used to wear, which was made out of beads and feathers. It is not an ordinary headgear because the people who were considered to be worthy of that can only wear it. The tribes used a sledge run by a dog to shift things from one place to another. At present, 48 bands exist, among which, Blackfoot and Kainai are the two languages that are widely used.