Piegan

North American people

Also known as: Peigan

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Piegan are an Indigenous North American people who are part of the Blackfoot confederacy. This confederacy traditionally included three closely related bands: the Piegan (also spelled Peigan in Canada), the Blood (Kainah), and the Siksika (Blackfoot proper).12

Historically, the Piegan and other Blackfoot groups lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA. They were nomadic buffalo hunters on the Great Plains, utilizing tepees and dog-drawn travois for transport before the introduction of horses.2

The Blackfoot language, to which the Piegan language belongs, is part of the Algonquian language family. While still spoken, it is considered endangered, with fewer than 5,000 native speakers in 2021.2

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Blackfoot
…three closely related bands, the Piegan (officially spelled Peigan in Canada), or Piikuni; the Blood, or Kainah (also spelled Kainai or Akainiwa); and the Siksika, or Blackfoot proper (often referred to as the Northern Blackfoot). The three groups, often called the Blackfoot confederacy, traditionally lived in what is now Alberta,…
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…three closely related bands, the Piegan (officially spelled Peigan in Canada), or Piikuni; the Blood, or Kainah (also spelled Kainai or Akainiwa); and the Siksika, or Blackfoot proper (often referred to as the Northern Blackfoot). The three groups, often called the Blackfoot confederacy, traditionally lived in what is now Alberta,…
Read More