Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Montana)



The Blackfeet Indian Reservation is located in northwestern Montana, on the Canadian border, just east of Glacier National Park and west of Cut Bank, Montana, primarily in Glacier County, with a small portion in Pondera County.


 * Established -- September 17, 1851 (the first Fort Laramie Treaty) and 17 October 1855 (by Treaty), modified by later treaties, executive orders, and agreements.
 * Agency (BIA) -- Blackfeet Agency located at Browning.
 * Principal tribes -- Blackfeet (Siksika), Blood (Kainah), Piegan, Little Shell Chippewa Indians
 * Population -- 2010 census is 8,944 (when including mixed bloods it's 9,152) - Does not include non Indians   1969: Tribal enrollment: 10,467

History
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation was established by Treaty of Oct. 17, 1855 and modified by unratified treaties of July 18, 1866, and July 13 and 15 and Sept. 1, 1868 and by Executive orders, July 5, 1873, and Aug. 19,1874. It was further modified by an act of Apr. 15, 1874 and by Executive orders, Apr.13, 1875, and .July 13, 1850; an agreement made Feb. 11, 1887, approved by Congress, May 1, 1888. An agreement made Sept. 26, 1895, approved by act of June 10, 1896; and an act of Feb. 27.1906, confirmed and additional grant of 356.11 acres, and 120 acres of unsurveyed land.

In 1908, the total size of the reservation included 959,644 Acres. In 2010, the reservation includes 1,462,640 acres.

In the early 20th century, the Little Shell Chippewa's of Montana, were continuing to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851, when the Fort Laramie Treaty was signed. On October 17, 1855, the September 17, 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty which defined the territory of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's, was approved. This historic treaty which was signed on October 17, 1855, was signed near the mouth of the Judith River in then Nebraska Territory. To the north, is the present day Rocky Boy Reservation and to the east, south, and west was the old River Crow (the Little Shell Chippewa's) Judith Basin Reservation, which was set aside on August 16, 1873.

However, we know the Little Shell Chippewa's were continuing to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation in the early 20th century. In 1921, a meeting was held at Joseph Paul's family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana. This meeting was probably about filing a land claim lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation. As mentioned, the Little Shell Chippewa's were continuing to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation.

They had at least 9 small districts across the original Blackfeet Reservation. They were: Wolf Point (major district 565); Hays (major district 565); Harlem (major district 565); Box Elder (major district (565); Dupuyer (major district 574); Augusta (major district 399); Great Falls (major districts 399 and 574); Lewistown (major district 399); and Helena (major district 398).

It would stay unchanged up to at least 1939. A meeting was held at Joseph Paul's home in Great Falls, Montana on June 10, 1939. Exactly what transpired is not known but soon after friction became a problem. Even in 1939, the Little Shell Chippewa's had 9 representatives for the 9 small districts mentioned above. Raymond Gray formed the Montana Landless Indians Organization in 1939. That further went to disrupt the government of the Little Shell Chippewa's Blackfeet Reservation.

After World War II, the leaders of the Little Shell Chippewa's Blackfeet Reservation government, became despondent and they commenced to go their own ways. Joseph Dussome was in favor of filing a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation. In 1950, Dussome gave up and hired a lawyer. A year later (1951), Dussome filed the land claims lawsuit. He was joined by Elizabeth Swan, leaders from Rocky Boy Reservation, and other Little Shell Chippewa leaders.

However, they confined their land claim to the northern part of the original Blackfeet Reservation with the number 565. For some reason, they excluded the areas of the original Blackfeet Reservation with the numbers 398, 399, and 574. That may have been because the other district represntatives did not agree to file the land claim lawsuit. Click memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S this link, to visit the Library of Congress website, to read the September 17, 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty which defined the territory of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's. On the bottom of the page are several links. Click on Montana 1. The original Blackfeet Reservation has the numbers 398, 399, 574, and 565.

To better understand the land area of the land claims lawsuit filed by Dussome, Swan, and the other Little Shell Chippewa leaders, click memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D this link, to read the August 16, 1873 Treaty which established the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's Judith Basin Reservation. On the bottom of the page is a link. Click on Montana 2. The land claim filed by Dussome, Swan, and the other Little Shell Chippewa leaders, covers the area on the land cession map with the pink color and the number 692.

You'll notice the much smaller Blackfeet Reservation on the northwest border, and the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Reservations. You will also notice the Judith Basin Reservation with the green color and number 557. All Reservations were originally a part of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's original Blackfeet Reservation. The land area with the number 692, is within area number 565, while the Judith Basin Reservation is within area number 399.

Those Reservations, which include the Blackfeet Reservation, Fort Belknap Reservation, Fort Peck Reservation (all have a yellow color), and the Judith Basin Reservation, were illegally established. Chiefs Little Shell III and Red Thunder, refused to cede the vast Chippewa Reservation in 1892, the United States set aside for the Little Shell Pembina Chippewa's decades earlier. Joseph Paul and other Little Shell Pembina Chippewa leaders, were following chiefs Little Shell III and Red Thunders, demands that the vast Chippewa Reservation be kept in governance. Dussome, Swan, and other Little Shell Chippewa leaders, gave up.

On April 5, 1974, the United States again refused to honor treaty agreements. They rejected the land claim lawsuit filed by Joseph Dussome, Elizabeth Swan, leaders from Rocky Boy Reservation, and other Little Shell Chippewa leaders. Click http://www.anishinabe-history.com/little-shell-land-claim.pdf here, to read the judgement of the land claim lawsuit.

Chief Rocky Boy was born and raised in southwest Montana. He claimed somewhere between Anaconda and Butte. He became a principle leader of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's of southwest and western Montana, and southeast Idaho, in the 1880s or 1890s. In southwestern Montana, the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's are known as the Inuk'sik. Chief Rocky Boy was their leader. Even during the years between 1885 and 1910, southwest Montana had a large Chippewa population. They followed treaty and moved from place to place. However, the United States did not follow treaty. Of course, I'm referring to the treaty which set aside the original Blackfeet Reservation on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855.

In 1908, serious problems were commencing in the Flathead Valley (Reservation). Many Chippewa's living in the Flathead Valley, and the nearby Swan Valley, and what is now known as the Bob Marshall Wilderness region, were becoming alarmed about the actions of the United States. The Swan Valley Massacre happened in October of 1908. Through negotiations, chief Rocky Boy agreed to support a relocation of many of the Chippewa's living in the Flathead Valley (Reservation) and southwestern Montana, in which they would relocate to the Blackfeet Reservation. In November of 1909, they boarded trains near Helena, Montana and reached the Blackfeet Reservation after a short trip. These Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's (the Inuk-sik) were given their own Reservation within the much smaller Blackfeet Reservation. It's located between the forks of the Milk River and St. Mary River.

In 1907, chief Rocky Boy obviously supported the Lemhi Shoshone who are obviously Chippewa, relocate to the Fort Hall Reservation. These Lemhi Shoshone Chippewa's lost their Reservation in the late 1870s but continued to live in their original homeland which includes much of southwestern Montana. Instead of boarding trains to move from southwest Montana and the old Lemhi Shoshone Reservation near Salmon, Idaho, they used their horses to reach Fort Hall Reservation. Other Chippewa's who lived in southwest Montana, were relocated to Canada (the Montana Reserve) and to the Navajo Reservation.

What brought about the forced relocations of the Chippewa's of southwest Montana and the region north and south of Salmon, Idaho, was a lack of available agriculture land. Montana's mountain valleys do not have large areas of farm land. To receive allotments, the Chippewa's of southwest Montana and the region north and south of Salmon, Idaho, had to leave for other areas, especially to the plains, where there was enough available agriculture land to assign individual Chippewa's the usual 160 acres of land. That is how large the Chippewa population was in southwest Montana.

Only the area of the original Blackfeet Reservation with the number 398, was not assigned a Reservation. Unless, the old Lemhi Reservation of southeast Idaho which bordered Montana, is included which it must. Area number 399, was assigned the old Judith Basin Reservation and old Fort Shaw Indian School Reservation, while area number 574 was assigned the old Fort Shaw Indian School Reservation and the Hill 57 Chippewa Reservation which was terminated (auctioned off on August 18, 1950). All are a part of the original Blackfeet Reservation. And not to forget, before Rocky Boy Reservation was established in 1916, the old Fort Assiniboine Indian Reservation was located there but was much larger.

Chief Rocky Boy lived at the Blackfeet Reservation for quite some time. He is a far more important leader of the Blackfeet Reservation than most Blackfeet people realize. He may have been a somewhat defiant leader but he put the welfare of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's first. Some claim he was assassinated. If he was, it was the whites who murdered him. As mentioned, before Rocky Boy Reservation was established in 1916, the old Fort Assiniboine Indian Reservation was located there. It covered 1,000 sq. mi. After Rocky Boy Reservation was established in 1916, it covered less than 90 sq. mi.

To learn more about the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana and how they governed their original Blackfeet Reservation, click www.indianaffairs.gov/cs/groups/xofa/documents/text/idc-001419.pdf this link. On page 119 (not on the adobe acrobat reader but on the pdf book pages) is the information about the June 10, 1939 meeting at Joseph Paul's home in Great Falls, Montana. On page 92, under "The Creation of Organizations in Montana, 1920-1936," is information about the first so called Little Shell Tribe organization in Montana. Howard Paul (Joseph Paul's son) preserved the information. The meeting was held at Joseph Paul's family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana in 1921.

They almost completely ignored Joseph Paul and focused primarily on Joseph Dussome. If you read the pdf book, you will have no choice but to agree that Joseph Paul was far more important. And they focused to much of their attention on the Metis or mixed bloods. And they did not mention anything about the original Blackfeet Reservation which the Little Shell Tribes land claim was about. Click memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D this link, to read the September 17, 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty which created and defined the Blackfeet Territory which is the original Blackfeet Reservation.

Communities
Babb: 2010 population is 174. Indians make up 84.5% of the population of Babb. Babb covers 9.55 sq. mi. It is located just north of Lower Saint Mary Lake, in a narrow mountain valley.

Browning: 2010 population is 5,209. Browning is made up of three communities. Browning (2010 population is 1,016), which is located between South Browning and North Browning. South Browning (2010 population is 1,785), which is adjacent to Browning on the south. North Browning (2010 population is 2,408), which is adjacent to Browning on the north. All three communities are classified as a distinct community but all three are connected. All are cdp's (census designated places). The three communities which make up Browning, cover 6.47 sq. mi.

East Glacier Park Village: 2010 population is 363. Indians make up 55% of the population of East Glacier Park Village. When including mixed bloods it's 60%. The small community is a gateway to Glacier National Park. It covers 4.36 sq. mi.

Heart Butte: 2010 population is 582. Indians make up 97.5% of the population of Heart Butte. Heart Butte covers 4.57 sq. mi. It's located in the southwestern part of the Reservation.

Hill 57: 2010 population is unknown. It is located adjacent to Great Falls, Montana but not within the city limits of Great Falls. Though Hill 57 is not within the 3rd Blackfeet Reservation, it is within the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. And it continues to be an Indian settlement. Last census of Hill 57 is from 1956. Hill 57 had a population of over 400 in 1956. Today, the Hill 57 Little Shell Chippewa population is dramatically lower. Probably fewer than 20 people live there. The Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's had 2 minor districts here. The minor districts (within the major districts of 399 and 574) representative was Joseph Paul.

Kiowa: 2010 population is ? Kiowa is located in the western part of the Reservation. It is not far from Glacier National Park.

Little Browning: 2010 population is 206. Indians make up 94.7% of the population of Little Browning. It covers 1.01 sq. mi. Cut Bank, Montana is located about 1 mile to the east of Little Browning.

St. Mary: 2010 population is ? St. Mary is located about 6 miles south of Babb, in the same narrow mountain valley as Babb. It's a gateway to Glacier National Park.Part of St. Mary is off the Reservation.

Starr School: 2010 population is 252. Indians make up 97.2% of the population of Starr School. It covers 4.23 sq. mi.

Population Growth History
In 1901, the population of Blackfeet Reservation was 2,022. Between 1900 and 1910, the United States government went so far as to build a fence around the Blackfeet Reservation to keep the prophecy weary Chippewa's from leaving the Reservation. In late 1909, the United States forced over 200 Chippewa's (that includes the Cree who are the northern Chippewa's) to relocate to the Blackfeet Reservation.

In 1930, or about 4 years before the Indian Reorganization Act was voted on and accepted at the Blackfeet Reservation, the Indian population of the Blackfeet Reservation was 3,962. Between 1901 and 1930, the Indian population increased by 100% at the Blackfeet Reservation. The population increase can be attributed to the relocation of 100s of Chippewa's to the Blackfeet Reservation commencing in 1909.

Between 1930 and 2010, the Indian population of the Blackfeet Reservation, experienced a much slower population increase. That is probably because of the Indian Reorganization Act. One of the Indian Reorganization Act's goals was to relocate Indians from Reservations, to white communitites.

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

Land Records: Allotted Land 775,412.52 acres