Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (Montana)

The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is a federally-recognized reservation, located in north-central Montana, between Havre and Glasgow. It is primarily in Blaine County, with a smaller portion in Phillips County.


 * Established -- September 17, 1851 and 17 Oct. 1855
 * Agency (BIA) -- Fort Belknap Indian Agency at Harlem, Montana
 * Principal tribes -- Assiniboine and the Grosventre (Atsina), Blackfeet Indians, and the Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians, Montana
 * Population -- 2010 census is 2,704 (when including mixed bloods it's 2,738) - Does not include non Indians 1969: Tribal enrollment 3,557.

History
Fort Belknap Reservation was established by Treaty of Oct. 17, 1855; unratified treaties of July 18, 1866, and July 13, and 15 and Sept. 1, 1868; Executive orders, July 5, 1873, and Aug. 19,1874; an act of Apr. 15, 1874; Executive orders, Apr. 13, 1875, and July 13,1880; agreement made Jan. 21, 1887, approved by Congress May 1, 1888; and an agreement made Oct. 9, 1895, approved by act of June 10, 1896.

The area of the reservation in 1908 was 497,600 acres.

Land records: Tribally-owned 162,932.63 adres. Allotted land: 427,579.93.

Fort Belknap Reservation is within the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa leaders continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851, well into the early 20th century.

In 1921, a meeting was held at Joseph Paul's family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana. It was probably about filing a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851. However, the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851.

On June 10, 1939, another meeting was held at Joseph Paul's home in Great Falls, Montana. Even during 1939, they were assigning district representatives for the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851.

After World War II, many of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa leaders became despondent and commenced to act on their own. In 1950, Joseph Dussome gave up and hired a lawyer and then filed a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation created on September 17, 1851. On April 5, 1974, the United States again refused to honor the treaty which created the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's original Blackfeet Reservation which the Fort Belknap Reservation is within.

Records
Many of the records of individual Indians living on the Fort Belknap Reservation were kept by the Fort Belknap Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Others are kept by the Tribal Office.