Siksika Reserves

After 1800 The Blackfoot suffered great losses due to disease, For example, they saw smallpox epidemics in 1837 and 1869, measles and scarlet fever epidemics in 1819 and 1864. By the late 1800s buffalo, the staple of the plains economy, were depleted. Further, the Blackfoot faced encroachment from white settlers much earlier than northern tribes and as a result were encouraged earlier to enter into a treaty.

In Canada, in 1877, the Blackfoot (Siksika. Pikuni and Kainah) signed Treaty Seven (as did the Tsuu Tina and some Stoney) at Blackfoot Crossing. They gave up rights to all hunting grounds in exchange for reserves, annuity payments and other benefits. Blackfoot south of the United States border signed a treaty with the U.S. government in 1855 (Dempsey. Can. Encyc.). At 175,400 acres, the Siksika reserve is the second largest in Alberta.