Native Language & History
MONTANA TRIBAL NATIONS
From the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 to the Hellgate and Blackfeet Treaties — explore the agreements, leaders, and lasting resilience of Montana's Indigenous peoples.
Understand the History ↓Montana's Tribes and Their Foundational Treaties: Context for Modern Impacts, Sovereignty, and Vigilance
Treaties between the United States and Montana's tribal nations—formal agreements under the U.S. Constitution's Article VI (making them the "supreme Law of the Land")—form the bedrock of tribal sovereignty today. These documents reserved specific rights (hunting, fishing, water, self-governance) while ceding vast territories for settlement, roads, and forts. They established reservations as homelands with "absolute and undisturbed use and occupation" in many cases.
However, post-1871 federal policies like the Dawes Allotment Act (1887) drastically reduced effective tribal lands through "surplus" sales to non-Indians, creating checkerboard ownership patterns. This led to the "regression" of boundaries from expansive treaty-era territories to today's fragmented holdings.
Tribal sovereignty carries the highest legal precedent. Treaties cannot be unilaterally infringed; any diminishment requires clear congressional intent. Yet historical language barriers complicate this: treaties were written in English, often with inadequate interpreters, reflecting clashing worldviews.
The strength of Montana's tribal nations is rooted in the courage and wisdom of their leaders, who navigated these complex agreements and preserved their cultures against encroaching settlers.
Leaders like Running Eagle and others who fought to preserve their lands and culture against encroaching settlers.
Key Treaty: Lame Bull Treaty (1855) - Established perpetual peace and hunting rights.
Modern reservation (~1.5 million acres) diminished by cessions and allotment. Sovereign rights include hunting/fishing/gathering and water rights via compact.
Chief Plenty Coups and other leaders who navigated the challenges of treaty negotiations and reservation life.
Key Treaties: Fort Laramie (1851 & 1868) - Set aside reservation for "absolute and undisturbed use."
Original reservation much larger; reduced to ~2.2 million acres with checkerboard pattern. Hunting rights upheld by Supreme Court (Herrera v. Wyoming, 2019).
Warriors and chiefs who resisted relocation and fought for their ancestral lands.
Key Involvement: Fort Laramie Treaties (1851/1868).
Established by Executive Order (1884); ~445,000 acres. Treaty-based hunting/water rights; compact protects reserved water.
Leaders who signed the Hellgate Treaty and worked to maintain their fishing rights and cultural practices.
Key Treaty: Hellgate Treaty (1855) - Reserved Flathead Reservation for exclusive use.
Reservation originally ~1.3 million acres; allotment caused loss of over 500,000 acres. Reserved fishing/hunting rights and water via compact.
Leaders who advocated for their rights and preserved their buffalo hunting traditions and cultural heritage.
Key Involvement: Fort Laramie (1851) and Lame Bull (1855) Treaties.
Established by Congressional Act (1888); ~698,000 acres today. Retained hunting/water rights; recent water settlement affirms Winters rights.
Assiniboine and Sioux leaders who maintained sovereignty and cultural continuity on their reservation lands.
Key Involvement: Fort Laramie Treaties (1851 & 1868).
Modern boundaries from 1888 Act; ~2.1 million acres reduced by allotment. Reserved rights under treaty frameworks; water compact in place.
Leaders who balanced traditional ways with modern governance, preserving languages and ceremonies.
No Foundational Treaty: Established by Congressional Act (1916).
Smallest reservation (~122,000 acres). Full tribal sovereignty via recognition and compact; water rights settled.
Métis and Anishinaabe leaders who fostered community resilience and cultural revitalization efforts.
Key Historical Ties: Treaty of Old Crossing (1863).
Landless tribe; federal recognition (2019/2020). Inherent sovereignty affirmed; ongoing efforts for land base.
Treaty rights are not relics—they provide the strongest legal shield. Courts have upheld them repeatedly. However, proposals to alter compacts or jurisdiction can erode them. Tribes must interpret intent through oral histories and push for government-to-government consultation.
Your website can highlight these as living documents: monitor legislation, support litigation, and educate on boundary regression and sovereignty.
Today, Montana's tribal nations continue to preserve their languages, cultures, and traditions on their own terms.
Language revitalization programs, tribal colleges, and cultural centers are leading the way forward.
"We are still here. Our languages, songs, and stories endure."
— Voices of Montana Tribal NationsExplore whose traditional lands you are on. Educational map by Native Land Digital (does not represent legal boundaries).
Tip: Search "Montana", "Crow", "Blackfeet", or "Salish" once the map loads.
We are Leon Birdhat and Luka Derry, students at Montana State University. Leon is a Computer Science major with a minor in Native Studies. Luka is a Computer Science and History double major.
This project was created to support Indigenous language preservation and cultural education across Montana's tribal nations. We hope this site serves as a respectful, community-driven space for learning, sharing stories, and honoring the histories and traditions that have shaped this land for generations.
Leon Birdhat
Computer Science Major • Native Studies Minor
birdhatl43@gmail.com
Luka Derry
Computer Science • History Major
aclancybear@icloud.com
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana