Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation

The Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation is a federally-recognized reservation, located in north-central Montana, just south of Havre, primarily in Hill County, with a smaller portion in Chouteau County.


 * Established -- 1916
 * Agency (BIA) -- Rocky Boy's Indian Agency located at Box Elder, Montana
 * Principal tribe -- Chippewa-Cree
 * Population -- 2010 census is 3,221 (when including mixed bloods it's 3,260) - Does not include non Indians. In 2005, it was estimated that Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation had 5,656 citizens. Most live on Reservation.

History
After the 1876-1877 Black Hills War and Nez Perce War, and the exodus that followed, many Chippewa's acted on their own and signed treaty with the United States. On January 31, 1874, the United States set aside the Judith Basin Reservation. It was located about 30 miles east of Great Falls, Montana and extended east of Lewistown, Montana. This is where many Little Shell Chippewa's lived. They supposedly eradicated it a couple of years later. It bordered the Fort Assiniboine Military Reservation which shows up on 1880s maps as the Fort Assiniboine Indian Reservation.

Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation was established in 1879, when Fort Assiniboine Indian Reservation was established. The United States probably used it as a POW Camp first then made it a Reservation soon after. It originally covered over 1,000 sq. mi. On the extreme southern border was the Chippewa Judith Basin Reservation the United States claims was Crow or River Crow.

After chief Rocky Boy died in April of 1916, the United States reduced (they didn't establish the Reservation) from over 1,000 sq. mi. to under 100 sq. mi. The reduced Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation was confined to the Bear Paw Mountains, excepting the area around Box Elder. The United States changed the name from Fort Assiniboine Indian Reservation to Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. They supposedly did so to honor chief Rocky Boy.

Soon after the Reservation was dramatically reduced in size, 100s of Chippewa's were forced off of Reservation rolls. They were relocated to the Papago Indian Reservation of Arizona and the Navajo Indian Reservation (Arizona). Many also moved to Hill 57 near Great Falls, Montana.

Rocky Boy's Reservation is within the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. The Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851, well into the 20th century.

In 1921, a meeting was held on Joseph Paul's family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana. It was probably about filing a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation. On June 10, 1939, another meeting was held at Joseph Paul's home in Great Falls, Montana. Even in 1939, they assigned 9 district representatives for the original Blackfeet Reservation. After World War II, many of the Little Shell Chippewa leaders gave up. Joseph Dussome hired a lawyer in 1950 and filed a land claims lawsuit in 1951. On April 5, 1974, the United States again refused to honor the treaty which created the original Blackfeet Reservation, which Rocky Boy's Reservation is within.

Records
Many of the records of individual Indians living on the Rocky Boy's Reservation were kept by the Rocky Boy's Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Others are kept by the Tribal Office.