Rocky Boy-Fort Belknap Reservation

Among the eight Native American Reservations in Montana, is the large Fort Belknap-Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. It is also known as the Valley County, Montana Chippewa Reservation. This Reservation has, i have to claim, a somewhat mysterious past. Why i am claiming the Fort Belknap-Rocky Boy Indian Reservation has a past which appears as if it is a bit out of place, is over the obvious closed status of this Reservation. Excluding Arizona's and New Mexico's Reservations, nearly all other Reservations in the United States have been opened up to white settlement. We can blame the filthy 1887 Dawes Act for the loss of much Indian land on Reservations. Not too many other Reservations can claim their boundaries have not been violated by the filthy 1887 Dawes Act. Fort Belknap can, as can Northern Cheyenne, Red Lake, Rocky Boy which is connected to the Fort Belknap Reservation, Turtle Mountain, and Warm Springs Reservations. All these Reservations are large. There are small reservations which have not been effected by the filthy 1887 Dawes Act. They are small however.

In the very early 1900s (around the time the Chippewa Flathead Reservation was stolen - and the Chippewa Babb Reservation in the Blackfeet Reservation was established which was 1909), another Chippewa Reservation was established in Valley County, Montana. That Chippewa Reservation in Valley County, Montana covers 60 townships or 1,382,405 acres. Valley County covered all of present day Valley County, Roosevelt County, Sheridan County, and Daniels County, Montana when the Chippewa Valley County Reservation was established. How did the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation get established? and why?

The Fraudulent 1855 Hellgate Treaty

To learn why the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation was established, we must first carefully investigate a mid 19th century treaty. The whites inserted what you may want to think of as a gesture in the 1855 Hellgate Treaty, in which they supposedly agreed to set aside a Reservation for the Flathead Indians (Chippewa Indians) living in the Bitterroot Valley, if found if that proposition was desirable. That bit of historical information is very important because it would lead to the establishment of the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation and a group of landless Chippewa's in Montana. They are not the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. The proposed Bitterroot Valley Reservation is the center of this conspiracy. After the whites brought Montana under their control, the Chippewa's continued living throughout the Bitterroot Valley and other western and southwestern Montana locations, well into the early 1900s. They tended to confine themselves to the outskirts of white towns, and resorted to doing odd jobs to earn money, and making crafts on the side to further increase the amount of money they made. They also frequented the city dumps to search for anything of value for use in making crafts, or for selling outright to make money. They were very poor and often went hungry. They were thin in those times. They were also extremely enraged but confined their rage because they knew they were powerless to fight the whites.

They were prohibted from hunting as they had always done through their own laws, by the whites of Montana, who frequently arrested Chippewa's for hunting out of season (done usually during the coldest months). However, it didn't stop the Chippewa's from breaking white laws. They had no choice. Either they hunted or they would often go hungry. The Chippewa population in southwestern and western Montana, was highest around Butte. They also had a significant population around Anaconda. Their population on the Flathead Reservation was significant.

Rocky Boy & Joseph Dixon

Chief Rocky Boy became the principle Chippewa leader of Montana by 1902. The death of ogima Little Shell III may have lifted ogima Rocky Boy to the high position he eventually held among Montana's Chippewa's. However, ogima Rocky Boy was a leader primarily in western Montana, from the Blackfeet Reservation, to the Flathead Reservation, to the whites cities in southwest Montana, and even Great Falls and Billings. Chief Little Bear reluctantly began to follow ogima Rocky Boy. He had no choice. The whites commenced to negotiating with ogima Rocky Boy in 1902 about the knife in the back. Chief Rocky Boy likely played a major role in the rip off year of 1904, by agreeing to sign away that dear to the Chippewa people and accepting the knife in the back. In 1904, ogima Rocky Boy commenced negotiations with Montana Congressman Joseph Dixon. Dixon, Montana (it is located on the Flathead Reservation) is named for Congressman Dixon. It was through Dixon, that the United States delivered the knife in the back. Dixon may have tried to help the Chippewa's but the government of the United States became deaf. They broke the 10 cent an acre treaty! For the next four years, chief Rocky Boy and Dixon carried on a friendship which escalated in 1908. Ogima Little Bear became so upset about the knife in the back in 1904, he contacted Canadian leaders to request to have the Chippewa's in Montana directly under his leadership, the opportunity to relocate to Canada. Canadian leaders agreed to help.

In 1908, ogima Rocky Boy and Dixon increased their contacts for they knew the Land Acts were about to take hold. They knew the United States was going to steal the Flathead Reservation and soon. They feared Chippewa reprisals! It was probably in early 1908, when an agency farmer on the Flathead Reservation made contact with Senator Dixon (by 1908 Dixon had been voted in to be a Senator of Montana) about the Chippewa's. Both Rocky Boy and Dixon knew something had to be done to stop the terrified Chippewa's from releasing their great rage. In 1908, Senator Dixon made an effort to stop what everyone knew would occur but he was ignored. They began to prepare for an exodus! Indian Inspector Franch C. Churchill arrived in September of 1908. Serious problems were already occurring in the Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming region. In 1906, the Ute Exodus had occurred. It was really a large number of Chippewa's who most likely fled the Crow-Northern Cheyenne Reservation. They were caught a few miles south of the Crow-Northern Cheyenne Reservation in October of 1906 and relocated to the Cheyenne Agency Reservation of South Dakota.

Ogima Little Bear could do nothing to stop what eventually occurred. White historians are so corrupted about Chippewa history, they have resorted to classifying ogima Little Bear and the Chippewa's under his leadership, as being Cree or a distinct tribe. Ogima Little Bear's father was Chippewa and he told an interviewer his mother was a Chippewa from Wisconsin. You only need to read William W. Warrens 19th century book "History of the Ojibway People" to learn that the northern most Chippewa's were named the O-ma-ski-goes or Swampy People. The whites corrupted the important information by changing "Swampy People" to "Swampy Cree." As expected, the exodus off the Flathead Reservation did occur. Major violence was avoided as a result of the early preparations.

The rip off year of 1904

A mystery it may be but in fact the United States did attempt to set aside a small Chippewa Reservation within the Flathead Reservation in 1904. They really wanted to allot over 4,000 acres evidently. The rip off year of 1904! What the United States did in 1904, was ratify the so called ten cent an acre treaty, which had its origins back in the time period between 1887 and 1892, when the United States tried to coerce ogimak Little Bear, Little Shell III and other Anishinabe ogimak, into signing away their land. They refused and the United States hired 32 Chippewa leaders to sign the illicit treaty. The Crow Reservation lost the northern part of their Reservation in 1904. The Red Lake Reservation lost much of their Reservation in 1904. The Rosebud Reservation lost much of their Reservation in 1904. The Wind River Reservation lost much of their land in 1904. The Shoshone leader who signed the agreement was murdered.

What really occurred in 1904, was the Flathead Reservation Land Act. It forced the Chippewa's and other Indians living on the Flathead Reservation, to accept land allotments which ranged in size from 80 to 160 acres. The Chippewa's under ogima Charlo's leadership, became enraged. They knew what that meant. They knew the Flathead Reservation's surplus land would be sold to the whites and the Indians could eventually sell their allotments to the whites. The Chippewa's protested strongly. After ogima Charlo died in 1910, the United States opened up the Flathead Reservation to white settlement. The Flathead Reservation was destroyed excepting the mountainous terrain. An event occurred in 1908 which could have led to an Indian War on the Flathead Reservation.

The October 18, 1908 Swan Valley Massacre

A group of supposed Pend d'Oreilles (they were really Chippewa's who fled the Flathead Reservation), were caught off Reservation hunting in the Swan Valley which borders the Flathead Reservation on the east slopes of the Mission Mountains. The 8 Chippewa's had supposedly purchased hunting permits which they showed to the game warden and a few deputized citizens who accompanied him. They supposedly went off on their hunting trip in September of 1908. They were not the only Chippewa's hunting in the Swan Valley or Seely Valley, at the time. Many others were doing likewise. Chippewa ogimak were aware of the intentions of the whites and knew the Flathead Reservation would soon be destroyed. Ogima Charlo may have played a role in this tragedy. He claimed in an interview, that he rather relocate to the plains of Montana than to the Flathead Reservation. He was still alive in 1908. By October, the whites had realized something else had transpired. Charles Peyton (the Game Warden) and the deputized citizens, went looking for the Chippewa's who were now using the Swan Valley for hunting. They found one of their camps in the Swan Valley. He demanded the proof they had permits to hunt which they did. However, Peyton returned the next day in the mood for killing.

Peyton told the Chippewa's to leave the Swan Valley by the next day when he warned he would return again. The Chippewa's supposedly agreed to pack their belongings but before they could get everything ready, Peyton returned as he warned. He enterred their camp shooting his gun. He meant to kill which means historians are not being honest about this historical event. In the first moments, two of the Chippewa's were shot and eventually died. A third Chippewa man was killed after he tried to reach for his gun. The 13 year old son of one of the Chippewa men killed, got his gun and shot Peyton in the stomach. A deputy then shot and killed the 13 year old boy. One of the wifes of the Chippewa's killed, got her a gun and finished off Peyton. She killed him dead on. This event led to the following.

At the time (1908), the United States was having all kinds of problems with the Montana Chippewa Indians. They sent Indian Agent Frank Churchill to Montana to negotiate with ogima Rocky Boy in 1908-1909. Churchill requested from the government of the United States, to withdraw all of Valley County, Montana from white settlement and to have a 2,160 sq. mi., Chippewa Reservation set aside in the same said county, for the Chippewa's from western Montana (Flathead Reservation) and southwestern Montana. The government of the United States agreed. The Chippewa's from western and southwestern Montana, could not reach their new Reservation in Valley County because the railroad owners charged too much. What likely occurred was a forced relocation of the Chippewa's who fled to the Swan Valley, to Helena, soon after the Swan Valley Massacre. They were held as POWS at Fort Harrison until November of 1909. In November of 1909, upwards to 200 Chippewa's were forced to relocate to the Blackfeet Reservation, where they were set aside a new Reservation where Babb is located.

The 1908 Fort Peck Reservation Land Act

Since the obvious information about the Chippewa's supposedly not being capable of affording to pay for the train trip to Valley County, Montana may have been forged (remember that well over 100 Chippewa's were forced to board trains in Helena to relocate to the Blackfeet Reservation in November of 1909!), it indicates another scenario occurred. We already know about the 1904 Flathead Reservation Land Act and what eventually occurred. In 1908, the Fort Peck Reservation Land Act stole the Fort Peck Reservation. When Churchill requested from the government of the United States that Valley County, Montana be withdrawn from white settlement, he did so to avoid a war with the terrified Chippewa's who lived on the Fort Peck Reservation. The Chippewa's of the Fort Peck Reservation had already commenced an exodus up to Canada by 1909. They knew from prophecy what would occur. To ease Chippewa leaders rage the United States agreed to set aside a new closed Chippewa Reservation in Valley County, Montana.

We know it was not the Fort Peck Reservation because the Fort Peck Reservation was destroyed. The Fort Belknap Reservation was partially located in Valley County, Montana in 1909. Most likely the United States enlarged the Fort Belknap Reservation to 2,160 sq. mi. The missing land is probably the Rocky Boy Reservation. If correct, it means the Rocky Boy Reservation was established years earlier than historically recorded and larger than its present size. Rocky Boy Reservation was supposedly set aside in 1916. Many Chippewa's were already living on the Rocky Boy Reservation in 1912, which means some sort of historical error has occurred. The missing land is the entire Bear Paw Mountain Range which covers a good 1,000 sq. mi. Many Chippewa's also commenced an exodus off the Blackfeet Reservation in 1910. In 1907, the Blackfeet Reservation Land Act took effect an enraged many Chippewa's living there. They obviously relocated to the Valley County, Montana Reservation.

Swan Creek & Black (River) Creek Chippewa's of Montana

Montana has three groups of Chippewa's who are not recognized by the government of the United States. The Little Shell are the most widely known but there are two other groups. One is the Ah-on-te-way and the other who are from western (the Flathead Reservation) and southwestern Montana, are the Swan Creek & Black (River) Creek Chippewa's of Montana. At first when i learned about the Swan Creek & Black River Chippewa's of Montana, i thought they were the Swan Creek & Black River Chippewa's who relocated to Kansas, from Michigan, in 1838-1839. However, after learning that a creek just south of the Bitterroot Valley has the name Black Creek and another creek about 30 miles south of Bozeman, has the name Swan Creek, i have changed my opinion. The Montana Swan Creek & Black Creek Chippewa's, are obviously the Native Americans mentioned in the 1855 Hellgate Treaty. It all makes sense when you put the puzzle together. Ogima Rocky Boy claimed he was born between Anaconda and Butte. It is what ogima Little Bear told the whites in Butte about 100 years ago that stands out. He claimed his father, ogima Big Bear, lived along the Snake River in Idaho and relocated up to southwestern Montana. That probably occurred during the 1862-1868 Snake River War.

At the present time the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation still exists. It is a subject that was tucked underneath a rug nearly 100 years ago. There are a couple of off Reservation towns which should be included as a part of the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation. And there are other locations classified as settlements but most are simple farms with little to contribute as being an actual settlement. Most are probably white. Below are the demographics of this Reservation.

Demographics of the Chippewa Valley County, Montana Reservation

Covers about 2,160 sq. mi.

Population is 7,106 when including Dodson and Harlem but probably higher. Most are Anishinabek, with the remainder being Dakotas and some whites.

Settlements

Fort Belknap District Communities
Dodson
Fort Belknap Agency
Harlem
Hays
Lodge Pole
North Hays

Rocky Boy District Communities
Agency
Azure
Baldy Mountain
Bearpaw Lake
Beaver Creek
Bird Tail
Boneau
Box Elder
Clear Creek
Cleveland
Corrigan
Gold Creek
Little Box Elder
Mount Reynolds
Parker School
St. Pierre
Sangrey
Shambo Springs
South Box Elder
West Boneau
Williams Butte