FLATHEAD RESERVATION

THIS IS WHERE THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND PEND D' ORIELLE AND KOOTENAI TRIBES LIVE IN NORTHWESTERN MONTANA. THEY LIVE ON 1.2 MILLION ACRES. AFTER THE RESERVATION PERIOD, LANDS WERE OPEN TO HOMESTEADING IN 1910 AND MANY NON INDIANS MOVED HERE AS WELL AS OTHER INDIANS. SOME HAVE INTERMARRIED WITH EACH OTHER. THEY HAVE A COLLEGE HERE AND A JOB CORP FOR THEIR YOUNG STUDENTS. THERE ARE 7000 MEMBERS HERE WITH 4000 LIVING ON THE RESERVATION. THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION WAS CREATED AFTER A TREATY I 1855. THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION WAS CREATED AFTER A TREATY IN 1855. AFTER 1910 THEIR LAND BASE CHANGED SINCE THE HOMESTEAD ACT OPENED LAND TO THE SETTLERS. THE GOOD AGRICULTURAL LAND WAS IN NON INDIAN HANDS. TODAY THEY OWN 613,273 ACRES AND THEY HAVE 1/2 OF THE FLATHEAD LAKE, AS WELL AS MUCH FORESTED LAND. THEY HAVE MAINTAINED A VARIETY OF HIKING TRAILS AND HIKING BY NON MEMBERS REQUIRES A TRIBAL PERMIT. THEY HAVE PRIMITIVE AREAS TO CAMP IN FOR THEIR MEMBERS AND THEY HAVE CEREMONIAL USE AND GATHER PLANTS. THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE STEWARDS. THEY BELIEVE THE EARTH IS OUR HISTORIAN. IT IS MADE OF OUR ANCESTOR'S BONES. IT PROVIDES US WITH NOURISHMENT, MEDICINE, AND COMFORT. FISHING WAS IMPORTANT DURING THE ENTIRE YEAR. BOTH FISHHOOKS AND WEIRS WERE USED TO CATCH FISH. ELDERS TOLD STORIES ABOUT THE ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF FISH. ELDERS TOLD STORIES ABOUT THE ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF FISH IN CREEKS. - SO PLENTIFUL YOU COULD CROSS THEIR BACKS. COLD WEATHER BROUGHT TRAPPING, FISHING, AND HUNTING. IT BROUGHT FAMILIES INSIDE AND WOMEN MADE AND REPAIRED CLOTHING.; THE MEN REPAIRED THEIR TOOLS. COYOTE STORIES WERE TOLD AFTER THE FIRST SNOW. THIS SACRED AND CEREMONIAL TIME WHEN DANCES OCCURRED. THE LARGE TRIBE OF SALISH AND PEND D' ORIELLE HAD TO BREAK UP BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LARGE TO BE SUSTAINABLE BY HUNTING AND GATHERING IN ONE PLACE. THEY SPLIT INTO SMALL BANDS. THESE SMALLER GROUPS WERE EASILY SUPPORTED. THESE TWO TRIBES HAVE BEEN CLOSE THROUGH HISTORY. DURING THE 1800'S THEY WENT ON JOINT BUFFALO HUNTS. AT TIMES THE SALISH AND SHOSHONE RAIDED EACH OTHER. THEY ALSO MET AT A NEUTRAL GROUND AND PLAYED TRADITIONAL GAMBLING GAMES. SOMETIME THEY INTERMARRIED THE SALISH HAD CONFLICTS WITH THE SKIRMISHES WITH BLACKFEET AND OTHER TRIBES. THE 17TH CENTURY SAW INTERTRIBAL CONFLICTS AND THE TRIBES WERE IN COMPETITION FOR FOOD RESOURCES. THE GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE WAS AMONG INDIANS THROUGH DISEASES LIKE SMALLPOX, MEASLES, AND INFLUENZA. THEY FINALLY MOVED TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THEY HAD HORSES FOR HUNTING BUFFALO UNTIL 1883 WHEN IT BECAME ALMOST EXTINCT. THE KLUNAXA HISTORY TELLS OF THE PEOPLE FROM WHEN THE SUN ROSE IN THE SKY AND HUMANS WERE EQUAL TO THE ANIMALS. THE SUN AND MOON TRANSFORMED LIFE INTO ALL BEINGS ON EARTH. THE KOOTENAI HAD A POPULATION OF 10,000 PEOPLE IN HISTORIC TIMES. THE KTUNAXA WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ENCOMPASSED MOUNTAINOUS COMMUNITIES. PRIOR TO THE RESERVATION THEY LIVED IN A BI CULTURAL LIFESTYLE. THEY HAD TRAITS THAT BOTH THE NORTHERN PLATEAU AND PLAINS TRIBAL GROUPS HAD. FOOD PRESERVATION WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LIFE CYCLE. THEY UNDERTOOK SEASONAL MIGRATIONS. BY FALL BIG GAME EXPEDITIONS WERE ORGANIZED AND SOME OF THE HUNTERS RETURNED TO THE PLAINS. THEY PROCESSES AND PRESERVED FOOD FOR WINTER. THE KLUTANAXA CULTURE HAD BOTH AGRICULTURE AND AQUA CULTULTURE. THEY SPECIALIZED IN BOTH FISHERIES/WATER CULTURE AND AGRICULTURE. THE KOOTENAI LANGUAGE IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN THAN ANY OTHER IN THE WORLD. OPI.MT.GOV