Indigenous Peoples of Montana

About four percent of the present population of Montana is American Indian. The major groups include the Blackfoot, Cree, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Chippewa, Flathead, Kutenai, and Assiniboin.

Tribes and Bands of Montana
Arapaho, Arikara, Assiniboin, Atsina, Bannock, Brule, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Northern Cheyenne, Chippewa, Cree, Crow, (Mountain River Crow), Dakota, Flathead, Cros Ventre, Hidatsa, Hunkpapa, Kalispel, Kainah, Kiowa, Kootenai, Kutena, Mandan, Nez Perce, Okinagan, Pend d' Oreille, Piegan, Salish, Santee, Sematuse, Shoshoni, Siksika, Sioux, Spokan, Teton, Tunache, Yanktonai

Assiniboin-Sioux, Absarokee-Crow, Chippewa-Cree

Reference


 * Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of Ethonology, Bulletin #30 1907.


 * Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America ( http://www.accessgenealogy.com ) Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin #145.

Reservations
As identified in the National Atlas of the United States of America, the following reservation names in bold are current federally-recognized reservations:


 * Blackfeet Reservation is in northern Montana just east of Glacier National Park.
 * Crow Reservation is in south-central Montana near Billings.
 * Flathead Reservation established 1855: State, under jurisdiction of Flathead Agency, Tribes: Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d' Oreille
 * Fort Belknap Reservation established 1888: Federal, under jurisdiction of Fort Belknap Agency, Tribes: Assiniboin and Gros Ventre
 * Fort Peck Reservation established 1888: Federal, under jurisdiction of Fort Peck Agency, Tribes: Assiniboin and Sioux
 * Jocko Reservation:
 * Northern Cheyenne Reservation (Tongue River) established 1884: Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Cheyenne Agency, Tribes: Northern Cheyenne
 * Rocky Boy Reservation established 1916: Federal, under jurisdiction of Rocky Boy Agency, Tribe: Chippewa-Cree

Reference


 * Isaacs, Katherine M., editor. Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America. U.S. Data Sourcebook, Volume 11 Appendices. Bureau of Indian Affairs List of American Indian Reservations, Appendix E. Indian Reservations, Omnigraphics, Inc., 1991.
 * National Atlas of the United States of America

Agencies

 * Blackfeet Agency, Browning, MT 59417
 * Crow Agency, Crow Agency, MT 59022
 * Flathead Agency. Box A, Pablo, MT 59855
 * Fort Belknap Agency, P.O. Box 98, Harlem, MT 59255
 * Fort Peck (Milk River) Agency
 * Fort Totten Agency
 * Northern Cheyenne Agency or Tongue River Agency, Lame Deer, MT
 * Rocky Boy Agency, Box Elder, MT 59521

Reference


 * Hill, Edward E. The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches. Clearwater Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.

Schools

 * Fort Shaw School

Family History Library
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of Indian records at the National Archives—Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle). These include excellent collections for the Blackfoot, Crow, Flathead, Northern Cheyenne, and other tribes. The available records include heirship, school, welfare, census, annuity, and family documents. The records are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under MONTANA - MINORITIES or MONTANA - NATIVE RACES. Records are also listed in the Subject Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the names of the tribes.


 * Major James McLaughlin Papers Family History Library film 0541380
 * Jesuits Mission Records Family History Library film 1671639
 * Montana Superintendency 1867-1873, M833, 3 films,Family History Library 1st film 1618090
 * Central Superintendency of Indian Affairs 1813-1878 108 films M856 Family History Library 1st film 1602893
 * Dakota and Wyoming Superintendency 1861-1870 &amp; 1877-1878 13 films M1016 Family History Library 1st film 1549632

Online Resources
http://www.native-languages.org/montana.htm

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/montana/index.htm

http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/mt/montmap.html

See Also:
Montana-Church for list of missions

Montana-History for a calendar of historical events

Montana-Military for list of forts