Blackfeet Reservation, History and Culture

Between Marias Pass and Cut Bank we pass through the Blackfeet Reservation. The present reservation is what remains of a much larger tribal homeland after several land cessions in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, including the present railroad right of way and much of Glacier National Park. Of the over 15,000 enrolled tribal members, about 7,000 live on or near the reservation. The Blackfeet in Montana are part of a confederation with two Blackfoot tribes in Canada, the Siksika (or Northern Blackfoot) and the Kainah (or Blood). The Montana Blackfeet are known as the Piegan or Pikuni. The confederation, whose tribes trace their ancestry back to ice age hunters, has been divided by the U.S. Canadian border since the 1870s. By the late 1870s, the prairie ecosystems had been shattered beyond repair by the arrival of Euro-American settlers. The Blackfeet ceded land under social and economic distress, and thought the land would be shared, as they had reserved their rights to hunt, gather, travel, and hold sacred ceremonies. The U.S. government took the position that these rights were extinguished upon the National Park’s creation in 1910. The Blackfeet have never accepted this.  

Centuries ago, the Blackfeet traveled the Northern Great Plains, including large parts of what are now Montana, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Much of their sustenance came from their prowess in hunting the bison, or American buffalo. Historically, Blackfeet traditions were passed down from generation to generation by story tellers who adhered to accuracy and were respected elders. These unwritten stories have gained recognition among non-Indian scholars as accurate historical records and led to a greater appreciation of the richness of the Blackfeet culture. Though fierce attempts to defend their homeland failed to forestall settlement, the Blackfeet have proven a resilient and indomitable people, using natural resources in creative and ingenious ways to survive. In recent years, the Blackfeet have adopted a constitution with a tribal council, and are asserting their legal rights, while striving to restore their culture and preserve their language. The Blackfeet are thought to have acquired their name because of the characteristic black color of their moccasins, painted or darkened with ashes. Another story tells of French fur traders, who encountered the tribe in the early 1700s along the banks of the Saskatchewan River, after the Indians had been traveling on foot through areas of burned prairie that left black ash stains on their leggings and moccasins.

2017 ROUTE GUIDE Empire Builder – Amtrak Train 8, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle Unit, National Park Service/Department of the Interior