Flathead Indian Reservation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flathead Native American Reservation
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View northeastward across Hungry Horse Reservoir onto the Flathead Range, Montana
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Location in Montana
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| Tribe | Confederated Salish and Kootenai | |
| Country | United States | |
| State | Montana | |
| Counties | Flathead Lake Missoula Sanders |
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| Established | 1855 | |
| Headquarters | Pablo | |
| Government | ||
| • Body | Tribal Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5,020 km2 (1,938 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2017)
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| • Total | 29,218 | |
| • Density | 5.820/km2 (15.076/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) | |
| Website | cskt.org | |
The Flathead Indian Reservation is a special area of land in western Montana. It is located along the Flathead River. This land is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. These tribes include the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles people.
The reservation was created a long time ago, on July 16, 1855. This happened through an agreement called the Treaty of Hellgate. The reservation covers parts of four counties in Montana: Lake, Sanders, Missoula, and Flathead. It also includes most of Flathead Lake. The Flathead Indian Reservation is west of the Continental Divide. It has about 5,020 square kilometers (1,938 square miles) of mountains and valleys with many trees.
Contents
History of the Flathead Reservation
Native American people have lived in Montana for over 14,000 years. We know this from old objects found by archaeologists. The Bitterroot Salish tribe came from the West Coast. The Kootenai tribe lived mostly in what is now Idaho, Montana, and Canada.
Long ago, some Kootenai people in the northeast hunted bison. Other Kootenai lived by rivers and lakes in the mountains. When they moved east, they ate more plants and bison, and less salmon. In the 1700s, the Salish and Kootenai tribes shared hunting and gathering areas.
Changes with Settlers
When European-American settlers started moving into the area, things changed. In 1855, the United States government signed the Treaty of Hellgate. This treaty set aside land for the Flathead tribes, including much of Flathead Lake.
Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the government changed its policy. They wanted to divide tribal lands into smaller pieces for individual Native American families. This was meant to encourage farming and a European-American way of life. The Flathead tribes did not agree with this idea.
However, the U.S. Congress passed the 1904 Flathead Allotment Act. After giving land to tribal families, the government said the remaining land was "extra." They then opened this "extra" land for white settlers to claim. This caused a lot of anger among the Flathead people. Getting back control of their reservation lands is still a very important issue for them.
Land Distribution and Challenges
Many people wanted to settle on the reservation land. In 1910, the government opened the remaining land to white settlers. Over 81,000 people applied for about 1,600 pieces of land. A lottery was held where young girls drew the names of those who could settle there. Even after this, many land pieces were still open. The tribe felt that more land was taken in a later "land grab."
The tribes also faced challenges with hunting rights. Their treaty said they could hunt outside the reservation. But the state of Montana tried to control their hunting. This led to a conflict in 1908, known as the Swan Valley Massacre. Several Native Americans died in this event. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed that the tribes had the right to hunt off-reservation, as stated in their treaty.
Geography and Nature
Almost all of Flathead Lake is part of the reservation. The lake is in the northeast part, with most of the reservation to its south and west. Polson, a main town in Lake County, is at the south end of the lake and inside the reservation.
Part of the Mission Mountains is on the reservation. The western side of these mountains is protected by the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness. The eastern side is protected by the Mission Mountains Wilderness. Parts of the Bob Marshall Wilderness are also nearby.
Animals and Fish
In recent years, the number of native fish like bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout has gone down. Other native fish include northern whitefish and northern pikeminnow.
Many non-native fish species are also found here. These include yellowstone cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout. You can also find lake trout, lake whitefish, black bullhead, kokanee salmon, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass.
The tribe does not allow hunting of furbearing animals on the reservation. However, non-native hunters can hunt certain birds. These include Hungarian partridge, pheasants, ducks, geese, mergansers, and coots.
Other animals that non-natives cannot hunt are elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, grizzly bear, and moose. You might also see wolves, bison, swans, and falcons on the reservation.
People and Communities
The total number of people living on the reservation was 28,324 in 2010. About 9,138 of these people identified as Native American. The largest town on the reservation is Polson. Polson is also the main town for Lake County.
The main office for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation is in Pablo.
There are 26 towns and communities on the reservation that the Census Bureau officially recognizes. About two-thirds of the land on the reservation is now owned by the Flathead tribes. After the land was divided and settled by others in the early 1900s, white settlers owned most of the land. But since the late 1900s, the tribe has been slowly buying back their land.
Economy and Businesses
The tribes earn money from selling timber (wood from trees). They also run many different businesses. These include:
- Gray Wolf Peak casino, located between Arlee and Evaro.
- KwaTaqNuk resort and casino in Polson. Its name means "where the water leaves the lake."
- S&K Technologies, a company that works with defense technology. Its main office is in St. Ignatius. It has five smaller companies in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
- S&K Electronics in Pablo, which makes electronics. It started in 1984.
- S&K Holding, a company that helps with leasing and financing.
In 2015, the tribes bought the former Kerr Dam and renamed it the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam. This was a big step because they are the first Native American tribe to own a hydroelectric dam. This dam creates electricity for the area. Before, they shared money from the dam with its owners. Now, they own it completely.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also manage Mission Valley Power. This company provides electricity and is owned by the federal government.
Salish Kootenai College is a college in Pablo that is run by the tribes. It offers two-year and four-year degrees.
Places to Visit
There are many interesting places to visit on and around the Flathead Reservation:
- Flathead Indian Museum, St. Ignatius
- Flathead Lake State Park
- The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas
- Kicking Horse Reservoir
- Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness
- The National Bison Range/Pablo National Wildlife Refuge, Moiese
- Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and State Wildlife Management Area
- St. Ignatius Mission, St. Ignatius
- The People's Center, Pablo
Communities on the Reservation
Here are some of the towns and communities located on the Flathead Reservation:
- Arlee
- Bear Dance (part)
- Big Arm
- Camas
- Charlo
- Dayton
- Dixon
- Elmo
- Evaro
- Finley Point
- Hot Springs
- Jette
- Kerr
- Kicking Horse
- Kings Point
- Lindisfarne
- Lonepine
- Niarada
- Old Agency
- Pablo
- Polson
- Ravalli
- Rocky Point
- Ronan
- St. Ignatius
- Turtle Lake
See also
In Spanish: Reserva india Flathead para niños
