Howard Terpning "Mystry of the Underwater People" WG

“MYSTERY OF THE UNDERWATER PEOPLE”

.The Underwater People, or “Suyitapis,” may dwell in the rivers and lakes, but their influence on land is significant. Many Blackfoot medicine bundles, painted lodge covers and other sacred items derive their power from them. As Howard relates: “In the early days, when the Blackfoot people lived on the land where their ancestors were buried, they believed that other animals and people lived under the water. Some believed that these animals looked similar to the ones roaming their country but were different in some way and they believed that the underwater people also differed from them. In this scene, a man who could be an uncle or perhaps a medicine man is explaining to these young boys the dangers and mysteries that lie beneath the water. This was part of their education and introduction to the adult world.

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