Blackfeet Oral History, Storyteller Francis Chief Bull Shoe Sr

Blackfeet Oral History features Blackfeet Elder Francis Bull Shoe, Sr., as the first of 33 storytellers. Francis was born and raised on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in October 1910 and passed on in 1974. Francis was an avid community member, serving on the Blackfeet Credit Board, Blackfeet Tribal Council, and Browning School Board for several years. Francis loved the outdoors, hunting wild game, and fishing in the Rocky Mountains for over fifty years. Francis was dedicated to assisting his children to obtain meaningful degrees in education. This educational tradition is still carried on by his grandchildren.

Francis' primary language was the Blackfeet language and he spent many hours listening to the Blackfeet Elders tell their Blackfeet Oral History. Francis has a very unique way of telling Blackfeet Oral History in English, which you will enjoy listening to. Francis's stories are captured on eight CDs and provide you with approximately eight hours of listening. You will enjoy hearing Francis tell his stories, which will take you back to the time you sat and listened to stories told by your parents and grandparents.

We, as all Blackfeet people, listened to stories told to us as young children and we listened enthusiastically, waiting for the next story of our history.

Blackfeet Oral History
Storyteller: Francis "Chief" Bull Shoe, Sr.
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Disc One
Content Holy Family Mission Days Calf Robe Story	Description Francis tells of his school days at the Holy Family Mission, a Catholic School on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Francis starts the story of a Blackfeet Indian, named Calf Robe injured in a battle and was cared and healed from injuries by a bear.

Disc Two
Content Calf Robe Story Bummer Boyhood Memories Names of the Lakes on the Blackfeet Reservation Francis' Work History	Description Francis concludes the story of Calf Robe and the return to Calf Robe to his people, somewhere near the Sweet Grass Hills. Bummer is a little dog. Francis raised Bummer and used voice control to communicate with his dog; Bummer wins a fight with another dog. Francis recounts all the lakes on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Francis tells of his work history on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Disc Three
Content Chase Up the Hill Battle How the Lakes were Named on the Blackfeet Reservation Sale of the Sweetgrass Hills as told by Old White Calf Sale of the Blackfeet Mountains Francis' Neighbors History of the Elmer Rattler Ranch Eagle Head Storyteller	Description Francis starts a story of The Chase Up the Hill Battle, but does not complete the end, as he went on to another story. Francis tells of how the lakes on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation were named. Francis recounts the sale of the Sweet Grass Hills and what land was sold, as told to him by Old White Calf, when he was a little boy with his father. Francis tells the story of the sale of the Blackfeet Mountains and how the Whiteman only wanted the yellow rocks, no other interest in the land, water, trees. The rocks turned out to be gold. Francis tells of his neighbors on Badger Creek and the Elmer Rattler Ranch and the future owners. Francis talks of the Old Eagle Head, a Blackfeet Oral History storyteller.

Disc Four
Content Old Lady Predicts the Future of the Blackfeet Indians How Blackfeet Indians Predicted the Weather Baker Massacre as told by Old Long Time Calf	Description Francis tells a story told to him as a young boy of an old Blackfeet lady who predicted the future of the Blackfeet people. Francis tells of how the Blackfeet learned how to predict the changes in weather. Francis tells the story of the Baker Massacre, told to him by Old Long Time Calf, a Blackfeet Elder.

Disc Five
Content Horse Lake Story Prehistoric Animal Fossils Horse Races with the Flathead Indians	Description Francis tells the story of Horse Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and how it was named. Francis tells of prehistoric fossils that were found on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the fossils he saw, and the areas they were found. Francis tells how the Flathead and the Blackfeet staged a famous horse race on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and how the Bull Shoe family won.

Disc Six
Content Bull Shoe Family Horse Races	Description Francis tells how his father raced horses and where he purchased his horses and the races the family won.

Disc Seven
Content How Bull Shoe Got Their Name History & Philosophy of Father Joe Bull Shoe Blood Degree of the Blackfeet Indians	Description Francis tells how the Bull Shoe family got their Indian name. Francis tells his father's history and the philosophy of his father. Francis talks of the importance of Blackfeet blood quantum.

Disc Eight
Content Francis Bull Shoe, Sr., Family History Francis Sings His Hunting Song	Description Francis recounts family history and sings his hunting song.