Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (Montana): Difference between revisions

:Population --&nbsp; 2010 census is 2,704 - Does not include non Indians<ref>Census 2000 Tribal Entity Counts for American Indian Reservations and Off-Reservation Trust Lands. U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. [http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tallies/tallyair.html Available online]. {Note: This census figure only accounts for tribal members living on the reservation or trust lands. Other enrolled tribal members may live off-reservation.)</ref> 1969: Tribal [[American Indian Enrollment Records|enrollment]] 3,557.<ref> Indian Reservations A State and Federal Handbook. Compiled by The Confederation of American Indians, New York, N.Y.  McFarland and Co. Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina, c. 1986. FHL book 970.1 In2 </ref>

Fort Belknap Reservation is within the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. The correct name of the original Blackfeet Reservation, is either [[Judith basin indian reservation]] or Judith River Indian Reservation or possibly Flathead Reservation. The October 17, 1855 Blackfeet Treaty, was signed near the mouth of the Judith River which is within the [[Judith basin indian reservation]]. Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa leaders continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851, well into the early 20th century.<br>  

Read the October 17, 1855 Blackfeet Treaty text. It is the home of the Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Flathead (included as being Flathead are the Kalispel, Pend d'Oreille, and Spokane), the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and the Nez Perce who are really the Amikwa Chippewas.  

== 1896: Chippewas Relocated To Fort Belknap Reservation  ==

During June and July of 1896, the United States required several thousand Chippewa's from the Little Shell Chippewas Blackfeet Reservation (aka [[Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation (North Dakota)|Turtle Mountain Reservation]]), to relocate to Fort Belknap Reservation and many other Reservations. In May of 1895, Chiefs Little Shell III and Red Thunder were arrested and that ended their efforts to preserve the [[Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians, Montana|Little Shell Chippewas Reservation]]. Also during 1895, the [[United States]] reached an agreement with leaders of Fort Belknap Reservation to purchase the southern part of the Reservation. It covered the southern part of Fort Belknap Reservation. An unknown number of Chippewas were deported to Fort Belknap Reservation during June and July of 1896.  

In 1921, a meeting was held at the [[Joseph Paul|Joseph Paul]] family ranch near [[Lewistown, Montana]]. It was probably about filing a land claims lawsuit about the original [[Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Montana)|Blackfeet Reservation]] which was created on September 17, 1851. However, the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewas continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851.  

After World War II, many of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa leaders became despondent and began to act on their own. In 1950, Joseph Dussome gave up and hired a lawyer and then filed a land claims lawsuit about the 3rd Blackfeet Reservation created on April 15, 1874. On April 5, 1974, the United States again refused to honor the treaty which created the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewas 3rd Blackfeet Reservation in which the Fort Belknap Reservation is located.

To learn more about the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana and how they governed their original Blackfeet Reservation, [http://www.indianaffairs.gov/cs/groups/xofa/documents/text/idc-001419.pdf www.indianaffairs.gov/cs/groups/xofa/documents/text/idc-001419.pdf click this link]. On page 119 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 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.  

In response to the unrest, Churchill requested that all of Valley County, Montana (it was really all of Fort Peck Reservation) be withdrawn from white settlement and a new 2,592 sq. mi. Chippewa Reservation be created for the Chippewas of Fort Peck Reservation. William R. Logan, who was the Superintendent of Fort Belknap Reservation, was put in charge of finding land for the new Chippewa Reservation. He found the land south and west of Fort Belknap Reservation. It was added on to Fort Belknap Reservation which increased the size of Fort Belknap Reservation to around 3,500 sq. mi. It is also connected to Rocky Boys Reservation.  

So both Fort Belknap Reservation and Rocky Boys Reservation, were probably reduced in size in 1934. Fort Belknap Reservation lost the most land; perhaps as much as 2,500 sq. mi. Rocky Boys Reservation was reduced from around 200,000 acres to around 156,000 acres.  

Hays covers 27.05 sq. mi. It covers a large area.The Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewas had a minor district at Hays. In 1939, the Hays district representative was probably Joseph Azure.<br>  

Between 1900, when the Reservation population was around 1,290, to around the time of the vote on the IRA, the population of Fort Belknap Reservation increased by only 75.