For 157 years, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians wandered Montana without a homeland, their ancestors’ refusal to surrender sovereignty in 1892 transforming them into what historians call “landless Indians”—a people who owned nothing but their identity. Then, on December 20, 2019, a single line in the National Defense…
The Apsáalooke—that’s the real name, not “Crow”—have been getting their identity mistranslated since the first Europeans stumbled into Montana. Children of the Large-Beaked Bird. Not some common scavenger, but the mythical Thunderbird that splits the sky during storms. The difference matters. It’s the difference between being named after power and…
The Niitsitapi—the Real People—have walked the Northern Great Plains for 18,000 years. That’s not a typo. While most American history textbooks start with Columbus or maybe the Mayflower if you’re lucky, the Blackfeet were already ancient when those boats showed up. They’d built empires, developed complex spiritual traditions, and mastered…
Montana, a land of rugged beauty and rich history, has been home to Native American tribes long before the echoes of European footsteps resounded through its valleys and over its mountains. This land, characterized by its vast plains and towering peaks, has witnessed the lives and cultures of numerous tribes,…