The Blackfeet Territory

The Blackfeet Nation consists of four tribes; the Southern Piegans in Montana, the Kainai or Bloods, the Northern Piegans and the Blackfoot people in Alberta, Canada. Each tribe has its own reservation and deals with its respective government on a singular basis. The Southern Piegan are the only Blackfeet tribe on the United States side of the Canadian border, although the three other three tribes often signed treaties when visiting relatives in the United States, the Blackfeet were never moved from one point to another and put upon an alien reservation; they were here long before the white man came to this country. What did happen, however, was a gradual reduction of Blackfeet lands. 

Several treaties and Acts of Congress have transpired between the United States government and the Blackfeet tribe. The United States government no longer makes Treaties with Indian tribes. This decision was embodied in the Congressional Act of 1871. Agreements with Indian leaders are properly referred to as Treaties if they were acted on before the end of 1871, and as Public Acts of Congress, Executive Orders, or Agreements, if enacted after that year.

On the following pages you will see maps of the Blackfeet tribe’s holdings of lands and their slow but methodical reduction by the United States government through Treaties, Executive Orders and Acts of Congress. 

Although the Blackfeet were beaten through “friendship”, “trust”, sickness and starvation, today in spite of all of the heinous acts of genocide committed against them they have survived. 

In 1851 (see map #2), the Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed between the United states and the chief, headmen, and braves of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Crow, Assiniboine, Mandan, Gros Ventre, and the Arickara tribes. Although the Blackfeet not officially present, represented, or consulted at this peace conference, the boundaries of the Blackfeet nation were limited and set for the tribe’s time being. Peace was to be observed among the tribes and between the tribes and non-Indian travelers. This was stated so that the settlers could pass through Indian Territory without being attacked by these tribes personally or being caught in inter-tribal warfare. Also roads were to be constructed and military and civilian outposts were to be built within the territory. 

On October 17, 1855 (see map #3), A. Cummings and Isaac S. Steven, Commissioners on part of the United States and the chief, headmen and delegates of the Blackfeet Nation, Flathead nation, and the Nez Perce tribes met. Peace was to be upheld between the three Nations and the Indians were to abstain from all hostilities whatsoever, except in self-defense. The Blackfeet gave consent and agreed to share a common hunting ground with afore-mentioned tribes. 

Non-Indian settlers were to be allowed to travel unmolested through Indian Territory and the United States was to protect said tribes against the wrong doings of the settlers residing in or passing through their country. Also the United States was given permission to construct roads, establish lines of telegraph and military posts; use materials to build their agencies, missions, schools, farms, shops, mills and stations. In return for the loss of their land and way of life the Blackfeet nation, including the Gros Ventre were to be given twenty thousand dollars annually for ten years to be spent as the President and agency Superintendent deemed necessary.

Also fifteen thousand dollars was to be spent annually for ten years to establish and instruct Indians in agriculture and Christianization. Many old people died waiting for their annuities.

After the unratified Treaty of 1865 (see map #4), a series of four Executive Orders none signed by the Blackfeet, limited their lands. 

On May 1, 1888 (see map #9), an Act of Congress ratified and confirmed an agreement with the Gros Ventre, Northern and Southern Piegans, Blood, Blackfeet and River Crow tribes in Montana, “their chiefs, headmen and principle men, embraced a majority of all male adult Indians occupying said reservations”. The tribes ceded more land to the United States and agreed to separate reservations. In return, the Blackfeet were to receive one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in these forms: in the purchasing of cows, bulls, and other stock, goods, clothing, subsistence, agricultural and mechanical implements; in providing employers; in education for Indian children: in the procuring of medicine and medical attendance, in the care and support of the aged, sick and helpless orphans; in the erection of such new agency and school buildings, mills and etc. deemed necessary; in assisting the Indians to build houses and enclose their farms; and in any other respect to promote their “civilization, comfort and improvement”. It was provide that the employment of farmers, artisans and laborers, preference in all cases be given to Indians residing on the reservation who were well qualified for such positions; provided further that all cattle issued to said Indians shall bear the brand of the Indian department, and should not be sold, exchanged or slaughtered except by consent or order of the agency in charge, until such time as this restriction should be removed by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Also the individual tribal members were to allotted lands in the following quantities; to the head of the family, one hundred and sixty acres; to each child over eighteen years of age, eighty acres; to each child under eighteen years of age, forty acres. 

On June 10, 1896 (see map #10), an agreement with the Indians of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the United States was confirmed and ratified by the Congress. The Blackfeet ceded a strip of land that was later to become a part of Glacier National park. In return they retained the right to cut and remove wood and timber for agency school and personal use.

They reserved the right to hunt and fish upon that land. The United States agreed to pay the sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars. Once again the Blackfeet asked for the education of their children, care provided for the sick and aged, the purchase of livestock, goods, clothing and etc. that would be best promote the civilization of the Indians.

1871– An Act of Congress that removed Indian tribes from the status of foreign powers and made them wards of the U.S. government. After this, agreements with tribes were no longer called Treaties.

1874– An Act of Congress to establish a reservation for certain Indians, including the Blackfeet, in the territory of Montana.

1887– An Act of Congress granting to the St. Paul, Minneapolis and the Manitoba railway Company right of way through the Indian Reservations in Northern Montana and Northern Dakota.

1905– An Act of Congress confirming the title of the St. Paul Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company to lands in the State of Montana. 

1907– An appropriation Act of Congress establishing that the Blackfeet reservation was to be surveyed and a new land allotment made. Irrigation systems irrigation systems were to be implemented and 320 acres each were allotted for the Holy Family Mission and the Mission and the Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church. After this was done the rest of the land was to be surveyed and opened up for sale. 

1911– An act of Congress establishing that lands to which the rights of the Indians were “extinguished” became a part of public domain of the United States and were opened to entry, sale or disposal. 

1919– An Act of Congress making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Bureau of Indian affairs. A new allotment was to be made and the sale of surplus land stopped.

1920– An Act of Congress to authorize the Secretary of Interior to acquire certain Indian lands necessary to reservoir purposes in connection with the Blackfeet Indian reclamation project.

1922– An Act of Congress to authorize the leasing for mining purposes of un-allotted lands on the Fort Peck and Blackfeet Indian Reservations in the State of Montana.

1923– an Act of Congress authorizing the Secretary of Interior to enter into an agreement with Toole County Irrigation District, of Cut Bank Montana, for the settlement of the extent of the priority to the water of Two Medicine, Cut Bank and Badger Creeks of the Indians of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. 

The districts were to finish in advance the entire cost of those streams to which the Indians were entitled to priority.

1924– An Act of Congress for the relief of certain nations or tribes of Indians in Montana, Idaho and Washington. It set up the Court of claims, with the right to appeal to the US Supreme court of the United States, to consider and determine all legal and equitable claims against the United States. 

1924– An Act of Congress to provide for the disposal of homestead allotments of deceased allottees within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana.

1930– An Act of Congress authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to accept title to certain real estate, subject to a reservation of mineral rights in favor of the Blackfeet Indians.

1931– An Act of Congress for the enrollment of children born after December 30, 1919 whose parent or parents are members of the Blackfeet tribe of Indians in the State of Montana.

1932– An Act of Congress to accept the grant by the State of Montana of concurrent police jurisdiction over the rights of way of the Blackfeet Highway and over the rights of way of its connection with Glacier national Park road system.

1934– The Indian Reorganization Act or “Wheeler Howard Act”, to conserve and develop Indian lands and resources; to extend the Indians the right to form business and other organizations; to grant certain rights of home rule to Indians.

Tribes were authorized to exercise their residual sovereignty through elected governments based on tribal constitutions.

1937– An Act of Congress to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to relinquish in favor of the Blackfeet tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation the interest in certain land acquired by the United States under Federal Reclamation laws. 

1946– Indian Claims Commission is established to consider claims of Indian tribes and other recognizable Indian groups for monetary judgments against the United States.

1955– Responsibility for directing medical care and health services for Indians is transferred from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to Public Health Services, Department of health education and Welfare. Division of Indian health is organized for this purpose.

1968– Civil Rights Act, Title II, “Rights of Indians”, limited the power of tribal governments by guaranteeing the individual Indian citizen most of the same kind of civil rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution to the non-Indian individuals in relation to their state and local governments such as: freedom of speech and peaceable assembly, freedom of the press, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, equal protection under the law, due process, protection against excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishment, etc..

1975– Indian self Determination and education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638), provides for maximum Indian participation in the government and education of Indian people by giving tribes the option of contracting for any service usually operated for them by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.