Montana Indian Tribes
The Arapaho proper occupied, or
camped in, parts of southeastern Montana at various periods of their history.
(See
Wyoming.)
Some Arikara hunted in eastern
Montana. In 1869 and 1880, together with the Hidatsa and Mandan, they
relinquished rights to land in the southeastern part of the State. (See
North
Dakota.)
From a Chippewa term signifying "one who cooks by the use of stones." See
Assiniboin Location
Probably from Blackfoot
At-se'-na, supposed to mean "gut people." See
Atsina Location
The Bannock ranged into the
western part of the State. (See
Idaho.)
The Cheyenne frequently entered
the eastern part of Montana and the Northern Cheyenne were ultimately assigned a
reservation within the State. (See
South Dakota.)
The Chippewa had little contact with
the region now included in Montana until very recent
times when a considerable number came to live there, 486
according to the census of 1910. (See
Minnesota.)
The
original homes of the Cree were north of the present
United States, though their war parties frequently came
into the territory now occupied by this country to fight
the Dakota, Blackfoot, and other tribes. In
comparatively late times a number, given by the census
of 1910 as 309, settled in Montana, and others were
reported from Washington (91), Michigan, Oregon, North
Dakota, Idaho, Kansas, and Minnesota. (See also Canada.)
A
translation, through the French gens des corbeaux, of their own
name
Absároke, "crow-, sparrowhawk-,
or bird-people." See
Crow Location
The Dakota entered Montana at
times to hunt and fight the Crow but were not permanent residents of the State.
(See
South Dakota.)
Together with the Arikara and
Mandan, in 1869 and 1880 the Hidatsa took part in treaties ceding territory in
southeastern Montana to the United States Government. (See
North Dakota.)
This tribe probably visited the
westernmost parts of Montana at times and most of them finally settled upon the
Flat-head Reservation in that State. Some of them, together with the Salish and
Kutenai, ceded Montana lands in 1855. (See
Idaho.)
According to tradition, the Kiowa
at one time lived in the southeastern part of this State. (See
Oklahoma.)
Said to be from a term applied to this tribe by the Blackfoot
Indians and believed by Turney-High (1937) to have come originally from
the name of a Kutenai tribe or division called Tunaha. See
Kutenai Location
The Mandan were parties to treaties made in 1869 and 1880 ceding
their claims to land in southeastern Montana. (See
North Dakota.)
Individuals belonging to this tribe sometimes entered the
southwestern part of Montana. (See
Idaho.)
The Piegan were the southernmost sub-tribe of the Siksika.
See
Salish
(Tunā'xe). Given by Teit (1930) as the name of an extinct Salishan
tribe living in west central Montana, but identified by Turney-High (1937)
as a former eastern or plains band of the Kutenai Indians, that band, in
fact, from which the name Kutenai is derived.
Some Spokan probably entered western Montana at times and, in 1910, 134
were reported as residents of the State. (See
Washington.)
Additional Resources
Notes About the Book:
Source: The Indian Tribes of North America, by John R. Swanton, 1953, Bureau of
American Ethnology, Bulletin 145, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC.
Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing
has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual
output.
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