Bob Scriver (1914-1999) is among the West’s greatest sculptors. He was born on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. His forte was American Indians. As a scholar of Blackfoot Indian culture and history, he is known for his ability to capture historically accurate detail in his sculptures. He was given the Blackfoot name Sik-Poke-Sah-Ma-Pee.
Scriver’s biography in the Fine Art Dealers Association states:
An accomplished musician, Scriver earned his master’s degree in music, taught in Montana public schools, and played professionally in big bands before taking up taxidermy, which would assist him in his ultimate profession, sculpture. A student and scholar of Native American artifacts, Scriver is best remembered for creating a series of sculptures that chronicled the history of the Blackfeet Tribe, as well as a series devoted to rodeo subjects.
Scriver operated the Museum of Montana Wildlife and the Hall of Bronze in Browning on the Blackfeet Reservation. After his death in 1999, these two collections were given to the Montana Historical Society.
The Scriver family collection of Blackfoot artifacts was sold to the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Alberta. This collection included some ceremonial Blackfoot bundles and this upset many of the tribal elders. Alberta returned the sacred objects to the Canadian Blackfoot.
Shown below are some of the Scriver sculptures which are on display at the Old Fort Benton in Fort Benton, Montana.
![9588 photo DSCN9588_zpse052a9da.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9588_zpse052a9da.jpg)
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![9592 photo DSCN9592_zps4b9adf1e.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9592_zps4b9adf1e.jpg)
![9593 photo DSCN9593_zps0da201c1.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9593_zps0da201c1.jpg)
![9595 photo DSCN9595_zps2b7adc9e.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9595_zps2b7adc9e.jpg)
![9601 photo DSCN9601_zps4e2e748a.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9601_zps4e2e748a.jpg)
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![9607 photo DSCN9607_zps74d45a25.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9607_zps74d45a25.jpg)
![9608 photo DSCN9608_zps715a7b2e.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9608_zps715a7b2e.jpg)
![9613 photo DSCN9613_zps1746b939.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9613_zps1746b939.jpg)
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![9622 photo DSCN9622_zps8061e804.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9622_zps8061e804.jpg)
![9623 photo DSCN9623_zps54a87581.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9623_zps54a87581.jpg)
![9628 photo DSCN9628_zps01eab967.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9628_zps01eab967.jpg)
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![9641 photo DSCN9641_zpse2fb460e.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9641_zpse2fb460e.jpg)
![9642 photo DSCN9642_zps256d48b3.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9642_zps256d48b3.jpg)
![9586 photo DSCN9586_zpsebc1e696.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9586_zpsebc1e696.jpg)
![9637 photo DSCN9637_zps00272fb1.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Fort%20Benton/Bodmer/DSCN9637_zps00272fb1.jpg)
The Blackfoot Beaver Dance is shown above. According to the display:
“The beaver bundle was the largest and oldest sacred bundle of the Blackfoot and is uniquely theirs. For years beaver holy men added parts and songs from other bundles. As the ritual grew, there were more and more participants. The sacred rites and songs multiplied to such an extent that the owner and his wife needed help with the ceremony. The part of the bundle opening ceremony depicted here is the Dance of the Beaver done by the wives of the Beaver Men. Holding beaver sticks in their mouths and carrying a stuffed beaver skin, they imitate a beaver swimming in and out of the lodge to the beat and songs of the rattles. Today there are too few beaver people to perform the complete ceremony.”
Cross Posted at Native American Netroots
An ongoing series sponsored by the Native American Netroots team focusing on the current issues faced by American Indian Tribes and current solutions to those issues.