Includes bibliographical references (pages 204-214).

Part I. Warriors, traders, and women. A blood Indian's conception of tribal life in dog days -- The Indian trade of the upper Missouri before Lewis and Clark -- The north west trade gun -- Reactions of the Plains Indians to the Lewis and Clark expedition -- Mothers of the mixed bloods -- -- Part II. Diplomats, artists, and dandies. When the light shone in Washington -- Three ornaments worn by upper Missouri dandies in the 1830's -- Early white influence upon Plains Indian painting -- -- Part III. Conservatism, change, and survival. The Blackfoot war lodge : its construction and use -- The bear cult among the Assiniboins and their neighbors of the Northern Plains -- Self-torture in the Blood Indian sundance -- The last bison drive of the Blackfoot Indians -- Food rationing - from buffalo to beef -- When Sitting Bull surrendered his winchester -- -- Part IV. The persistent image. The emergence of the Plains Indians as the symbol of the North American Indian.