Flathead Indian Reservation (Montana)

The Flathead Indian Reservation is a federally-recognized reservation, located north of Interstate 90 between Missoula and Kalispell, mostly within the boundaries of Lake County. Small portions of the reservation are also located in Sanders, Missoula, and Flathead Counties.


 * Established -- 16 July 1855
 * Agency (BIA) -- Flathead Indian Agency at Pablo, Montana
 * Principal tribes -- Salish (also called Flathead), Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai (also called the Confederated Salish and Kootenai).
 * Population -- 2,743 (2000 census).
 * Approx. 4500 living on or near the Reservation in 2009.

History
The Flathead Reservation Historical Society has compiled a time line of historical events, which lists important happenings from pre-contact to the year 2000.

The reservation was originally named the Jocko Reservation, as it was located on the Jocko River. It was created by a Treaty of July 16, 1855 (XII, 975). Some of reservation land has been allotted to individual Indians under acts of Apr. 23, 1904 (XXIII, 302), Feb. 8, 1887 (XXIV, 388), and Feb. 28,1891(XXVI, 791).

Records
Many of the records of individual Indians living on the Flathead Reservation were kept by the Flathead Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, located in Pablo, Montana. Others are kept by the Tribal Office.

In 1905, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs assigned Special Agent Thomas Downs to investigate the enrollment of the Indians of the Flathead Reservation. The National Archives has microfilmed the resulting documents as their Microcopy M1350, consisting of 3 rolls of microfilm. These records are available at the National Archives and their Regional Archives, and at other research institutions, including the in Salt Lake City. The records include census rolls for 1903, 1905, and 1908, as well as applications for enrollment and Agent Downs' field notes. It includes members of all tribes then living on the Flathead Reservation, including the Flathead, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, Kalispel, and Spokane tribes.

Important Websites
Flathead Reservation Historical Society