| irst people to inhabit the area now known as | | | | on the Fort Peck Reservation, where each of the |
| Montana were members of nomadic tribes that | | | | seven primary bands of the Sioux nation are also |
| supple-mented their diets with native plants and | | | | represented. |
| sustained their existence by hunting buffalo and | | | | The Rocky Boy's Reservation was originally |
| other mammals. Following the buffalo herds, these | | | | inhabited by members of the Chippewa and Cree |
| first people crossed the Bering Strait from Asia | | | | Tribes. However, because of extensive |
| approximately 12,000 years ago and over time | | | | inter-marriage over the generations, the tribal rolls |
| migrated southward. Archaeologists have verified | | | | now list members only as "Chippewa Crees". In |
| evidence of a thriving tribal culture established | | | | 1935, the Chippewa Crees adopted a tribal |
| west of the Rocky Mountains more than 9,000 | | | | constitution for the "Chippewa Cree Tribe", |
| years ago. | | | | officially recognizing the coming together of the |
| Before the white man came west, Indian people | | | | two tribes into one. |
| roamed freely across this great land, following the | | | | Montana is also home to the Little Shell Band of |
| gigantic buffalo herds that once covered the | | | | Chippewa, often referred to as "Landless Indians". |
| plains. For hundreds of years the native peoples | | | | Although a distinct tribal group, the Little Shell are |
| relied on the buffalo for food, clothing and shelter. | | | | not yet a federally recognized tribe. |
| The bison was revered among the Indian Tribes | | | | Tribal nations are distinctive in several respects. |
| as a bountiful gift from the Creator and were | | | | They are based primarily, although not exclusively, |
| thus hunted with reverence and respect. | | | | on ethnic heritage and are racially distinct from |
| The area now known as Montana was inhabited | | | | other minority groups in Montana and the United |
| by two major groups of Indian tribes. The | | | | States. Most important from a legislative |
| Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Crow, Assiniboine, Atsina | | | | standpoint, tribal nations have a unique status in |
| and Arapaho tribes lived on the south and eastern | | | | the American federal system. American Indians |
| grassy plains. The rugged western mountains | | | | are not just an ethnic minority; they are also |
| were the home of the Shoshone, Bannack, | | | | respected members of quasi-sovereign tribal |
| Kalispell, Flathead and Kootenai tribes. The Dakota, | | | | nations. The Indian nations of Montana are |
| Sioux and the Nez Perce tribes entered Montana | | | | governed by tribal governments that are legally |
| at times to hunt and dispatch war parties, but | | | | empowered to determine who is and is not a |
| were not permanent residents of the State. | | | | member of that nation. Each of the tribal |
| With the arrival of the Lewis and Clark Expedition | | | | governments in Montana has established its own |
| in the first decade of the 19th century, the | | | | criteria for enrollment, with some requiring higher |
| traditional way of life of Montana Indians became | | | | blood quantum levels than others. |
| increasingly threatened. By the mid-1880's, the | | | | The tumultuous history of the Indian tribes in |
| federal government began to deal formally with | | | | Montana is characterized by years of violent |
| the tribes, entering into treaties that assigned | | | | warfare and constant movement. They traveled |
| tribes to certain designated areas and obligated | | | | the plains to follow the buffalo and the many |
| them to respect the land boundaries of their | | | | tribes battled for control of prime hunting grounds. |
| neighbors. However, the mining | | | | Finally, with the bison near extinction and tribes |
| “booms” of the 1860's fractured | | | | decimated by disease and battles with white |
| these fragile arrangements as miners rushed into | | | | settlers, there came a final move onto |
| the lucrative gold fields that often lay adjacent to | | | | reservations, marking the sad end of a proud and |
| or within the designated tribal lands. These new | | | | noble era. |
| “settlers” demanded federal | | | | Indian Population |
| protection, thus beginning the garrisoning of | | | | According to 2007 figures from the US census, |
| Montana and the eventual forced relocation of the | | | | Montana has a population of approximately |
| tribes to smaller and smaller reservations. | | | | 957,800 people, the Indian Population of Montana |
| The combination of "tribal" and "nation" best | | | | was approximately 6.4 percent of the total |
| encapsulates essential aspects of both the | | | | population of the state. |
| historical and contemporary identity of Indian | | | | The census reports information for American |
| communities in Montana. There are nine principal | | | | Indian areas that includes all American Indian |
| tribal groups living on seven reservations in | | | | reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and |
| Montana. Three of the reservations are inhabited | | | | other tribal-designated statistical areas. Montana |
| by more than one tribal group. | | | | has seven Indian areas. The Indian population |
| The Confederated Salish, Pend d'Oreille and | | | | ranges from 24% of the total population in the |
| Kootenai share the Flathead Reservation; the | | | | Flathead area to 95% in the Rocky Boy's area. |
| Gros Ventre and Assiniboine co-habit the Fort | | | | Although the Indian population in Montana is highly |
| Belknap Reservation; and the Assiniboine and | | | | concentrated in a few counties, Native Americans |
| Sioux both reside on the Fort Peck Reservation. | | | | live in all 56 counties of the state, ranging from a |
| In each of these cases, the reservation population | | | | small percentage of less than 1% in 19 counties |
| consists of diverse fragments of larger tribal | | | | to 10% of the population in 29 counties. There |
| nations. For example, there are 33 bands of | | | | are eight counties in which Indians compose 11% |
| Assiniboine Indians, two of which are represented | | | | to 56% of the total population. |