Judith Basin Indian Reservation

Montana Indians of Montana  Judith_Basin_Indian_Reservation

Judith Basin Indian Reservation
It is a non federally-recognized Indian Reservation in Montana.

Established on August 16, 1873

Principle Tribes -- The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Blackfeet Indians, Flathead Indians including the Kalispel Indians, Pend d'Oreille Indians, and Skokane Indians, and the Nez Perce Indians

Population -- Last census may have been around 1900. Possibly 300 to 400.



History
Above is a map of the Judith Basin Indian Reservation. It was located about 25 miles east of Great Falls, Montana and a couple of miles from Fort Benton, Montana. It covered around 125 townships (each small square box in the the above map represents one township) or 2,880,011 acres or near 4,500 sq. mi. In August of 1873, the government of the United States reached a treaty agreement with certain Little Shell Chippewa Indian leaders, in which the Judith Basin Indian Reservation was established. It was done without consulting with the highest ranking leaders of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. Rightful name of the original Blackfeet Reservation, is either Judith Basin Indian Reservation or Judith River Indian Reservation. The October 17, 1855 Blackfeet Treaty (aka Lame Bull Treaty), was signed near the mouth of the Judith River which is within the Judith Basin Indian Reservation.

What was the Judith Basin Indian Reservation, was located within the boundaries of the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. The treaty text of the October 17, 1855 Treaty, does not mention the Crow Indian Tribe nor the Dakotas. It does mention the Blackfoot Indians, Flathead Indians, and Nez Perce Indians. All are Chippewa, with the Flathead (the Flathead are the Flathead, Kalispel, Pend d'Oreilles, and Spokane) being an admixture of Algonquin Chippewa and non Algonquin. The Nez Perce are the Amikwa Chippewas (the Amikwa Chippewas are also known as the Nez Perce), who originally lived north of Lake Huron. White encroachment and prophecy led them to migrate west into Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

To the north and bordering the Judith Basin Indian Reservation, was the old Fort Assiniboine Military Reservation which was established in 1879, or about 4 years after the Judith Basin Indian Reservation was eradicated. Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation (Montana) is within the old Fort Assiniboine Military Reservation, which indicates a link between the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, to the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation.

According to Little Shell Chippewa Tribe Attorney, J.B. Bottineau, the population of Little Shell Chippewas or Chippewas from the Turtle Mountains, was between 300 and 400 in Montana. In 1904, Bottineau claimed the Chippewas were temporarily living in the basin in Montana. He was obviously referring to the Judith Basin Indian Reservation. Some speculate Bottineau was referring to the Montana towns of Basin and Boulder, which are west of the Judith Basin Indian Reservation.

It is well known among the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, that they were living where the Judith Basin Indian Reservation is located, in the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, and early 20th century. They claim they established Lewistown, Montana. Lewistown, Montana is within the boundaries of the Judith Basin Indian Reservation. The landless Chippewas of Montana, obviously have direct links to the Judith Basin Indian Reservation (aka the original Blackfeet Reservation).

What they don't know is the Chippewas are native to Montana. The Chippewas did not arrive to what is now Montana, in late 1870s or 1880s. They followed prophecy (the Seven Fires Prophecy) long ago and settled in what is now Montana, centuries before the whites invaded the America's. It is important that the Chippewas ignore the Metis account of the eventual settlement of what was the original Judith Basin Indian Reservation. The Metis are prone to side with the whites and also prophecy discrepancies or deceptions. Below is a link to a web page about Little Shell Tribe History.

Relocation
In 1908, the Chippewas of Montana were extremely concerned about the actions of the United States. Four years earlier (1904), the United States passed the McCumber Agreement which is fraudulent. In 1907, the county officials of Silver Bow County warned the Chippewas that if they didn't leave the county they would be arrested. It coincides with the forced relocation of the Lemhi Shoshone of Idaho who were forced to move to the Fort Hall Reservation in 1907. According to Ottawa author Andrew Blackbird's 1887 book "History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan," the Chippewa Language was extensively spoken among the Shoshone People.

In 1902, chief Rocky Boy negotiated for a Chippewa Reservation in western Montana. White supporters requested for a Chippewa Reservation within the Flathead Reservation which, according to history, was denied. However, on June 9, 1903, the Flathead Forest Reserve, which was established on February 22, 1897, was added on to the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve. At that time (1903) many Chippewas were living in the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve. That probably accounts for the October 1908 Swan Valley Massacre. By 1908, the government of the United States changed their attitude.

In October of 1908, the Swan Valley Massacre happened very near the western border of the Judith Basin Reservation (aka the original Blackfeet Reservation). The Chippewas of Flathead Reservation were becoming alarmed about the land acts. Chief Rocky Boy negotiated with Senator Dixon about the fear the Chippewas had about the United States not honoring treaty agreements. Chief Charlo expressed his feelings and told the whites he rather relocate to the plains than live at the Flathead Reservation.

Throughout 1909, negotiations continued. In early November of 1909, an agreement had been reached. It dealt with the surplus land at the Blackfeet Reservation and creating a new Reservation for the Chippewas within the 4th Blackfeet Reservation. Several hundred Chippewas commenced to relocate to their new Reservation within the 4th Blackfeet Reservation. They boarded trains in November of 1909 and reached their new Reservation within a short time. The relocation took some time. Their new Blackfeet Reservation is located between the forks of the Milk River and St. Mary River.

It follows a line directly north and south of the forks of the Milk River, to the Canadian border and Cut Bank Creek. From Cut Bank Creek, it follows a line southeast to Mission Lake. From Mission Lake, it follows a line northeast to Cut Bank. All land east and north of those lines is the surplus land. The surplus land covers around 500 sq. mi. or near 320,000 acres. The surplus land went to the whites. The rest of the Reservation (about 2,250 sq. mi.) is the new Chippewa Blackfeet Reservation chief Rocky Boy negotiated for. Most of the Chippewas who relocated to their new Blackfeet Reservation, lived in southwest and western Montana and where the Judith Basin Indian Reservation is located. Many others came from the Coeur d'Alene and Nez Perce Reservations of Idaho.

Joseph Paul
It was from the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation, that Joseph Paul would emerge as a leader of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. Our earliest accounts of Joseph Paul come from his son Howard Paul. Howard Paul claimed a meeting was held on his family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana in 1921. The meeting was probably about filing a land claim lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation, which the Judith Basin Indian Reservation is within.

Joseph Paul was either 38 or 42, in 1921. His obituary stated that Joseph Paul was born on October 1, 1883 and died at the age of 75, in 1959. He could not have been born in 1883. His father, Elzear Paul, was without bride. Joseph Paul was born at Fort McGinnis, Montana. He is listed as being one of the 4 children of Elzear Paul's first wife, who died in 1881. There were 2 Forts in Montana with the name Fort McGinnis. One was located just south of Cut Bank, Montana. It was abandoned in 1879. So Joseph Paul may have been born in 1879. The other was located near Lewistown. Birth records claim Joseph Paul was born near the Fort McGinnis near Lewistown.

Joseph Paul was obviously a leader of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana in 1921 and probably years earlier. He may have known chief Rocky Boy. He may have even known chief Little Shell III and chief Red Thunder. However, they both were arrested in 1895 and forced to relocate to the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Rolette County, North Dakota. The surname, Red Thunder, was well represented during the 1956 census for the Little Shell Tribes community of Hill 57, which is adjacent to Great Falls, Montana. According to the 1956 Hill 57 census, 16 of the Chippewa's living at Hill 57, had Red Thunder as a surname. That's nearly 5% of the population of Hill 57. Many of the Chippewas of Great Falls, can trace their origins to the Judith Basin Indian Reservation, which is 25 miles east of Great Falls.

Click this www.slideshare.net/anjelwilliams/1956-census-hill-57 to read the 1956 census for Hill 57. By the 1970s, the Hill 57 Chippewa population had declined dramatically. On August 18, 1950, the United States ushered in the Termination period by Terminating the Chippewas Hill 57 Colony or Rancheria. Chippewas had bought land at Hill 57 or Mount Royal and were granted each 5 acres of land in the 1930s, by the government of the United States. A few Chippewas may own land at Hill 57 at this time.

Population
Since it is claimed that the Judith Basin Indian Reservation was eradicated in 1875, an estimate for the Reservations population is not possible. However, Chippewas were living within the Judith Basin Indian Reservation in the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, and the early 20th century. As mentioned, Bottineau estimated that between 300 and 400 Chippewas were living in the Basin in Montana in 1904. He meant the Judith Basin Indian Reservation. In the early 1870s, the Chippewa population within the Judith Basin Indian Reservation was much larger. And the Crow are Hidatsa. The Hidatsa are also known as the Gros Ventre. The Gros Ventre are also known as the White Earth or White Clay People. The Gros Ventre are Algonquin Chippewas. They are also known as the People of the Falls or People of the Waterfalls. Of course, they originally lived where the Great Falls of the Missouri River are.

Paul Lineage
In Montana, the first Paul's probably lived in western Montana. Chief Big Face Paul, lived in the Bitterroot Valley. He requested for Christian Missionaries during the 1830s. Father DeSmet eventually made his way to the Bitterroot Valley in the 1840s. Within the Kootenai and Flathead Tribes, there were several leaders with the surname Paul during the 19th century. Even today, the Paul surname within the Flathead Reservation, is still found. However, not as important it was in the 19th century.

Howard Paul eventually became one of the first chairmen of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. He was born in 1914, near Lewistown, or near or within the Judith Basin Indian Reservation. Both the Paul's from central Montana and western Montana, have origins which commenced in Manitoba, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ontario, and Quebec.

Reference

 * PDF Book about the history of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana www.indianaffairs.gov/cs/groups/xofa/documents/text/idc-001419.pdf
 * Web page about the history of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Central Montana www.littleshelltribe.com/miscdocs/history/1st_Indians_Montana.shtml
 * Lineage of Kootenai Chief Aeneas (Ignace) Paul who was related to the Flathead of western Montana www.swanrange.org/documents/Lineage_of_Chief_Aeneas.pdf
 * The Salish Chiefs (includes Coeur d'Alene, Flathead, Kalispel, Pend d'Oreilles, and Spokane) 1840-1910 www.saintmarysmission.org/BitterrootSalish-Chiefs.html
 * A list of all the Algonquian speaking tribes including from western North Americica www.wilkesweb.us/algonquin/nations.htm