Judith Basin Indian Reservation

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

Established on August 16, 1873

Eradicated on March 25, 1875

Principle Tribes -- The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Blackfeet Indians, Flathead Indians, and the Nez Perce Indians

Population -- In 1904, 300 to 400.

History
In August of 1873, the government of the United States reached a treaty agreement with certain Little Shell Chippewa Indian leaders and Crow Indian (the Crow Indians had no rightfull claim to the territory) 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.

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. It does mention the Blackfoot Indians and Flathead Indians. Both are Chippewa, with the Flathead being an admixture of Algonquin Chippewa and non Algonquin.

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 Chippewa's or Chippewa's from the Turtle Mountains, was between 300 and 400, in Montana. In 1904, Bottineau claimed the Chippewa's were temporarily living in the basin in Montana. He was obviously referring to the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation. Some speculate Bottineau was referring to the Montana towns of Basin and Boulder, which are west of the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation.

It is well known among the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, that they were living where the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation was located, in the late 1870s and 1880s. They claim they established Lewistown, Montana. Lewistown, Montana is within the boundaries of the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation.

What they don't know is the Chippewa's are native to Montana. The Chippewa's did not arrive to what is now Montana until the 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 Chippewa's 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 the Little Shell Tribe History.

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 Lewistowm, Montana in 1921. The meeting was probably about filing a land claim lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation, which the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation was 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 Fort McGinnis's in Montana. One was located just south of Cut Bank, Montana. It was abandoned in 1879. So Joseph Paul may have been born in 1879.

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 Hill 57, 1956 census.

If J.B. Bottineau was actually referring to the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation, then up to 400 Chippewa's were still living within and around the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation, in 1904. Most of the old Judith Basin Indian Reservation was probably located in what is now Fergus County, Montana. According to the 2010 census, Indians make up about 1% of the population of Fergus County. That is a little over 100 people. Joseph Paul and his father Elzear Paul, eventually moved to Great Falls, Montana. They were allotted land near Lewistown, Montana but sold it as a result of it's poor quality.

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 Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana in Central Montana www.littleshelltribe.com/miscdocs/history/1st_Indians_Montana.shtml