History of the Blackfeet Nation, 1800-1895

began trading with Europeans and embroiled in a series of violent CANADA CANADA r v e r r he Blackfeet have lived in North R i e e T n iv iv R R a n n w a a acquired a range of new items, interactions with American traders e h w w c e e America for over 10,000 years. A N t h h a c c o s k N t N t r Sa ka ka t o s o s h r Sa r Sa namely horses and guns. Quickly as well as other tribes. However, a t t S h h nomadic tribe that followed the a S S s k a a at s s ch ka ka tc tc becoming the best horsemen of all century later, by 1895, the Black- e h h w e e seasonal grazing and migration of a w w n R a a iv n n e Ri Ri the Great Plains Indians, the Black- feet were confined to compara- r ve ve the buffalo, the Blackfeet spanned r r thousands of miles from the Rocky feet were now able to control more tively tiny reservations and had lost E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C Mountains to modern-day Labra- land by pushing rival tribes west nearly all of their previous lands. ow Riv B e BRITISH w Ri w Ri across the Continental Divide. r Bo ve Bo ve CLAIMS r r dor. Contrary to modern percep- Sout h S r So So a e ut ut h S r h S r s v a e a e k i Eastern border R s v s v a tchew an k R i k R i tions, many historians consider not definite a tchew an a tchew an the Blackfeet originally an Eastern By 1780, the Blackfeet had close Woodlands tribe that lived primari- to 15,000 members and controlled ly in the Great Lakes region. How- land from Montana’s plains to the

ever, due to the arrival of Europe- North Saskatchewan River. The

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Blackfeet Land v e e

first half of the 19th century for i v v

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ans on the East Coast and tensions i d lk M Rive a i i Cut Bank M d M lk R d M lk R C ar r ive ive i a Cut Bank a Cut Bank l e Creek as Mar r Mar r the Blackfeet was defined in large h R iver C i C i a e a e a r t l Creek s l Creek s k a h R iver a h R iver a

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with their traditonal enemies, the a a

r i r F F l v During this period, the home regions of The was l The was

k ri R e o Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 o Lame Bull Treaty of 1855 F Birch u F Mi ss o r Rive r r Rive r R k Birch ri k Birch ri Creek Mi ss o u Mi ss o u part by interactions with colonial- iv r R Creek R Creek e i i Common Hunting Ground e v r v r r v e e Cree, the Blackfeet were one of the isso i the three distinct tribes that make up the e an agreement between the United States e signed by the tribes of the Blackfoot u r r M r v v i R issou i issou i R M r M r i ve i R i R r e R R ists. Encounters with fur traders n i v i v Sun River e r e e r e o t Blackfeet Nation became better defined. Sun River n and reprensentatives from eight Indian Sun River n Confederacy, in addition t o delegations first tribes to move West during the r s o o t t r e w r s r s e v o i l e e v l r w r w

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R e e i l i l and explorers like Lewis and Clark R e v l v l i i

Y R ri R e R R e The Bloods and North Blackfeet settled tribes, not including the Blackfeet. The from other tribes. The U.S. govern- h i Y i Y 17th century. u t r r

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Sun River Country d u u

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worsened relations between the M north of the Canadian border, while the treaty defined terriotorial claims for all ment’s goal was to make way for the

M M M us M M s elshel us us tribe and white people, and instilled l R Piegan lived south of the border. Today, s elshe the tribes and the United States agreed s elshe railroad by negotiating a peace between i v er ll ll By 1700, most Blackfeet lived in OREGON R i v er R i v er a view in non-Indians of the Black- COUNTRY Piegan descendants live on the Blackfeet that these lands were solely Indian ter- the tribes. The treaty defined two Y the valley of the North Saskatche- e llo r Y Y w e r el el s v e lo r lo r Three tone Ri reservation in Montana and the Bloods w e r ritory. Even though the Blackfeet were w e r common hunting grounds. The United v s v e s v e feet as hostile and violent toward i ton Ri ton Ri Forks Three e v Three e v R i i wan River in the modern-day prov- r Forks R Forks R e r r r d and North Blackfeet live on the Canadi- e not contacted early enough to send a e States agreed to provide “useful goods e w v r d r d white people. In 1837, nearly 6,000 i o e w e w R P v o v o i i R P R P n ince of Saskatchewan, still hunting r

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an reservations in Alberta. r delegation to the meeting to ratify it, the r and provisions” as a return for these

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Blackfeet, almost two-thirds of H

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buffalo with bows and arrows. Yet i B the tribe, were killed by a smallpox treaty also included Blackfeet land. This B concessions by the Blackfeet. However, the new century brought about a was the beginning of a pattern of agree- by 1865, there were no more bison on epidemic. Still recovering from UNITED UNITED UNITED technical and cultural revolution STATES STATES ments, treaties, and laws that defined the STATES the common hunting ground and new

this tragedy, the Blackfeet became W in W Blackfeet homeland without approval by W gold mining camps brought more than for the Blackfeet. The Blackfeet d i i R n d n d i v R R e r i v i v e r the tribe. e r 15,000 miners into Blackfeet country.

CANADA CANADA CANADA CANADA r r r r v e v e v e v e R i R i R i R i n n n n a a a a w w w w e e e e h h h h c c c c N a t N a t N a t N a t o s k o s k o s k o s k r Sa r Sa r Sa r Sa th th th th

S S S S a a a a s k s k s k s k at at at at ch ch ch ch e e e e w w w w a a a a n R n R n R n R iv iv iv iv er er er er

E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C

ow Riv ow Riv ow Riv ow Riv B er B er B er B er

Sout Sout Sout Sout h S r h S r h S r h S r a e a e a e a e s v s v s v s v k R i k R i k R i k R i

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1865 1873 1874 1875 i i i i d lk d lk d lk d lk M Rive M Rive M Rive M Rive a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M C ari r C ari r C ari r C ari r l e Creek as l e Creek as l e Creek as l e Creek as a h R iver a h R iver a h R iver a h R iver r k t r k t r k t r k t

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F F F r Rive r r Rive r r Rive r r F Rive r k Birch uri In 1865, a group of Blackfeet tribal k Birch uri President Grant’s k Birch uri By Act of Congress in 1874, the k Birch uri Due to public pressure, President Mi ss o Mi ss o 1873 Executive Mi ss o Mi ss o R Creek R Creek R Creek R Creek i i i i v r v r v r v r e e e e r e r e r e r e isso v isso v isso v isso v M ur i leaders agreed to an unratified treaty M ur i Order reduced 1851 and 1855 treaty M ur i federal government further diminished M ur i Grant returned lands to the tribes i R i R i R i R R R R R i ve r e i ve r e i ve r e i ve r e Sun River n Sun River n Sun River n Sun River n o o o o t with the Montana Governor Meagher t t the joint reservation by moving the t r s r s lands and established combined reser- r s r s that had been taken in 1873 and 1874 r e w r e w r e w r e w

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ri Y ri Y ri Y ri Y h and Blackfeet Indian Agent Gad Upson h h southern border 200 miles northward h

u t u t vation lan ds for the Blackfeet, Gros u t u t by Executive Order and Act of Con-

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M M M to sell their lands south of the Mis- Ventre, Assiniboine, and Sioux. While from the Sun River to the Marias River. M gress. This land, situated south and M M M M us us us us s elshe s elshe s elshe s elshe ll ll ll ll R i v er souri River and north of the common R i v er the area of the Blackfoot Nation tech- R i v er This piece of land, known as Sun River R i v er west of the Missouri and Yellowstone hunting grounds. For over 2,000 square nically expanded to the East, this Order Country, was taken from the tribes Rivers, was in Indian control for only Y Y Y Y e e e e llo r llo r llo r llo r ws e r ws e r ws e r ws e r ton Ri v e ton Ri v e ton Ri v e ton Ri v e Three e v miles of land, the Blackfeet received Three e v was an early indicator of the federal Three e v without compensation and returned to Three e v half a decade. i i i i Forks R Forks R Forks R Forks R r r r r e e e e r d r d r d r d e w $1 million from the U.S. government. e w government’s desire to establish defined e w the public domain by the government. It e w iv o iv o iv o iv o R P R P R P R P

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Although it was never ratified, white set- was soon opened for settlement. o H H H

reservations for H

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B B B tlers began moving into these new lands Indian tribes. B as if the treaty had been ratified. UNITED UNITED UNITED UNITED STATES STATES STATES STATES

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CANADA CANADA CANADA CANADA r r r r v e v e v e v e R i R i R i R i n n n n a a a a w w w w e e e e h h h h c c c c N a t N a t N a t N a t o s k o s k o s k o s k r Sa r Sa r Sa r Sa th th th th

S S S S a a a a s k s k s k s k at at at at ch ch ch ch e e e e w w w w a a a a n R n R n R n R iv iv iv iv er er er er

E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C E D I V I D L A T N E N I T N O C

ow Riv ow Riv ow Riv ow Riv B er B er B er B er

Sout Sout Sout Sout h S r h S r h S r h S r a e a e a e a e s v s v s v s v k R i k R i k R i k R i

a tchew an a tchew an a tchew an a tchew an

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1877 1880 1887 1895 i i i i d lk d lk d lk d lk M Rive M Rive M Rive M Rive a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M a Cut Bank M C ari r C ari r C ari r C ari r l e Creek as l e Creek as l e Creek as l e Creek as a h R iver a h R iver a h R iver a h R iver r k t r k t r k t r k t

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F F F r Rive r r Rive r r Rive r r F Rive r k Birch uri Treaty 7, one of the 11 Numbered k Birch uri k Birch uri Responding to pressure from white k Birch uri The “ceded strip” of 800,000 acres, tak- Mi ss o Mi ss o President Hayes’ 1880 Executive Or- Mi ss o Mi ss o R Creek R Creek R Creek R Creek i i i i v r v r v r v r e e e e r e r e r e r e isso v isso v isso v isso v M ur i Treaties signed between First Nations M ur i M ur i settlers and ranchers desiring to move M ur i en by an Act of Congress in return for i R i R der took back the land south and east i R i R R R R R i ve r e i ve r e i ve r e i ve r e Sun River n Sun River n Sun River n Sun River n o o o o t and the British Crown, established t t into the lands of the already shrinking t $1.5 million, was home to some of the r s r s of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers r s r s r e w r e w r e w r e w

e v o e v o e v o e v o i i i l l l i l

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R R R R e R e R e R R e

ri Y ri Y ri Y ri Y h reservations for the Blackfeet tribes h h reservation, Congress held land ces- h Blackfeet’s most sacred lands, includ-

u t u t that was restored to the tribes by Presi- u t u t

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M M M in Canada and included promises of dent Grant in 1875. sion hearings in the winter of 1887 to M ing Chief Mountain. In 1910, this land M M M M us us us us s elshe s elshe s elshe s elshe ll ll ll ll R i v er annual payments to the tribes and hunt- R i v er R i v er negotiate another land treaty. The few R i v er would become part of Glacier National ing rights on surrended land. By sheer Blackfeet leaders that attended signed an Park, which is now visited by over 3 Y Y Y Y e e e e llo r llo r llo r llo r ws e r ws e r ws e r ws e r ton Ri v e ton Ri v e ton Ri v e ton Ri v e Three e v amount of land lost, this treaty proved Three e v Three e v agreement that would relinquish all but Three e v million people each year. i i i i Forks R Forks R Forks R Forks R r r r r e e e e r d r d r d r d e w to be one of the most consequential e w e w 45 square miles of their land to the gov- e w iv o iv o iv o iv o R P R P R P R P

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agreements signed during this century. ernment. In total, the Blackfeet ceded 17 o The “ceded strip” is important in the

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B B B million acres of their land in exchange B story of the Badger-Two Medicine. Fol- for $125,000 per year for 10 years. lowing the loss of this land, Blackfeet UNITED UNITED UNITED UNITED STATES STATES STATES STATES leaders say that the power and medicine

W W W W i i i i n d n d n d n d present in the strip was transferred to R R R R i v i v i v i v e r e r e r e r the Badger, the Blackfeet’s last refuge.

Cartography by Zach Levitt and Becca Holdhusen Data: Montana GIS Clearinghouse, TrailTribes.org, Montaka American Indian Council