Blackfeet Indian Reservation

“The present reservations of the Bloods (Kainau), and North Blackfeet, in the Province of Alberta, Canada, are along the same rivers, where their ancestors camped. The Piegans became subdivided into North and South Piegans, the former in Alberta, and the latter in North-western Montana.” 1

The Blackfeet Reservation was established when the treaty of 17 Oct. 1855 was entered into on the shores of Judith River, in what was in 1855, the Territory of Nebraska. 2 However, the actual boundaries for this reservation was established in the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851. And is described as such in that document:

The territory of the Blackfeet Nation, commencing at the mouth of Muscle-shell River; thence up the Missouri River to its source; thence along the main range of the Rocky Mountains, in a southerly direction, to the head-waters of the northern source of the Yellowstone River; thence down the Yellowstone River to the mouth of Twenty-five Yard Creek; thence across to the head-waters of the Muscle-shell River, and thence down the Muscle-shell River to the place of beginning. 3

In the 1855 treaty, the Blackfoot nation (comprising of the Piegans) “consent and agree” to set apart a common hunting ground for several nations and tribes who signed onto the treaty. This hunting ground could not be settled upon by the Blackfoot, nor could they settle within 10 miles of its northern boundaries. 4 Setting this portion of the tribal lands apart from their exclusive usage, was intended to diffuse the claims made by other tribes that the Blackfoot had no exclusive right to the common hunting grounds, and to establish peace between the Blackfoot and the tribes which also used those hunting grounds.

Like the treaties of many Nations, the original allotted lands were quickly diminished through newer treaties and Acts of Congress, until the present day when the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana consists of about 1.4 million acres. I won’t go into detail here about each and every treaty, but if you’d like to further research this topic then you should search the following treaties and acts, and their implication on the Blackfeet Reservation.

• Blackfeet Reservation Historical Timeline
• Treaty of 17 Oct. 1855
• Executive Order of 1873
• Act of Congress 1874
• Act of Congress 1887
• Act of Congress 1895
• The Shrinking Reservation
• The Early Reservation Years 1880-1920

Heart Butte District Survey – 1912 Blackfeet Allotment of Lands

After Buffalo	2	1081	5
Aimsback	15	356	20
BigBeaver, Aaron	73	202	163
BigLodgePole	81	104	176
Big LodgePole, Peter	82	106	178
BigWolf Medicine, GoodVictory	6	1178	198
Bito, Tom	51	391	252
Blackbull	61	1199	261
BoyChief	91	1181	320
BuffaloBody	57	313	370
Bullshoe, Joe	54	414	408
Butterfly, Elmer	8	1217	450
Calfbossribs, Barney	71	324	470
Calfrobe, Albert	14	184	476
Calftail	33	130	489
Calftail, John	40	269	491
Cayton, Joe	74	96	1998
Cayton, Mrs. Joe	22	97	1999
Chiefallover, George	76	149	517
Chiefallover	75	147	515
Choate, Frank	113	89	534
Choate, Mrs. Frank	79	90	535
Choate, George	78	86	538
Choate, Sam	80	95	532
Crawford, George	18	54	615
Crawford, James	20	53	614
Crawford, Joe	19	52	613
Crawford, Mrs. Minnie	17	50	612
Davis, Frank (white)	97
Dayrider, George	70	387	679
Dayrider, Joseph	101	382	677
Dayrider, Peter	88	380	672
Dayrider, Peter Jr.	89	384	674
DogTakingGun	95	1301	741
Drage Behind	107	1297	777
Eagle, Pete	86	111	809
Eagleribs (He mult.), John	10	601	1236
Evans, James	50	8	865
EveryBodyTalksAbout, George	9	1229	873
Flint, (Smoker), Pete	21	57	930
Grant (Blackface), Peter	100	84	1047
Green, Nick	83	178	154
Hall, Dave	27	15	1136
Headcarrier, John	34	244	1200
Heavygun, Henry	43	334	1209
Horn, Harry	58	251	1512
Horn, John G.	65	246	1294
Horn, George No. 2	64	243	1302
Horn, Tom	59	241	1298
Ironbreast, Charles	12	1261	1355
IronEater	36	452	1357
Ironpipe, Joe	67	1331	1365
Ironpipe, John	109	1332	1363
Iron Necklace	111	34	1360
Jackson, Mrs. Medicine Beaver	57	444	748
Jackson, Louie	36	445	749
Kennedy, John	106	2049	1413
Longtimesleeping	7	1240	1577
Longtimesleeping, Calling Back	118	1241	1582
Longtimesleeping, John	117	1244	1580
Lavarro (Koasuth), Louie	103	39	1517
Madplume	112	272	1621
Madplume, Elmer	53	274	1638
Madplume, Albert	48	279	1634
Madplume, George	52	276	1625
Madplume, Mike	49	277	1623
Marceau, Alex	110	133	1689
Marceau, Louie	30	140	1702
Marceau, Pete	84	142	1695
Mittens, James	1	1223	1787
Manyguns, Sam	96	1277	1669
Mountain Chief	41	213	1878
Mountain Chief, Walter	69	215	1885
Newbreast, Sam	68	609	1915
Newrobe, Joe	90	1268	1918
No Coat	87	1351	1949
NoRunner, Tim	94	1283	1916
OldManChief (Littleblaze) Rose	108	1366	1521
OldRock	16	352	1584
Oldrock, Pete	105	69	1991
Redfox, GoodVictory	115	1250	2160
Redfox, John	63	1251	2164
Redfox, Jim	116	1252	2161
RedHead	102	46	2167
Rose, Charles	45	315	2210
Rose, William	46	318	2214
Runningcrane, Edward	62	301	2221
Russell, Joe	56	404	2256
Rutherford, Dewey	11	81	2273
Sanderville, Richard	85	156	2284
Sanderville, Oliver	28	159	2293
Sanderville, Tom Kiyo	26	162	2297
Sanderville, John	29	161	2295
Sanrogret, Louie (not allotted)	25
Spearwoman (Rattler)	114	1248	2432
Spotted Bear, Peter	104	1270	2440
SpottedEagle, Jim	32	349	2464
SpottedEagle, John	66	237	2457
SpottedEagle, Tom	72	232	2448
SpottedWolf (Two Guns) John	47	441	2594
St. Goddard, Osa (white)	92
St. Goddard, Archie	93	1233	633
Stabs By Mistake	42	209	2468
Stabs By Mistake, Peter	44	211	2470
Surochief	98	226	2516
Surchief, Philip	35	228	2516
SwimsUnder	3	1341	2519
Tailfeathers	13	364	2535
Tatsey, John	31	27	2558
Vielle, Frank	24	115	2647
Walter, Arthur	23	824	2673
Whiteman, John	55	1353	2794
Whiteman, Pete	99	484	2796
WhiteQuiver	5	1338	2799
Wolfplume	60	1246	2843
YoungManChief, Mrs.	4	1236	2911

• See Also: Allotment of Oliver Racine, Blackfeet Tribe

 

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Citations:

1. The Old North Trail by Walter McClintock, pub. MacMillan and Co., Limited, St. Martin’s Street, London, 1910.[↩]
2. Treaty With The Blackfeet, October 17, 1855, AccessGenealogy, online Data last viewed on 1 July 2013. This Treaty has been assigned a variety of names over the years, and may be known as the “Lame Bull Treaty,” the “Blackfoot Peace Treaty” and the “Judith River Treaty.[↩]
3. Treaty of Fort Laramie with Sioux, etc. September 17, 1851, AccessGenealogy, online Data last viewed on 1 July 2013.[↩]
4. Treaty With The Blackfeet, October 17, 1855, Ibid.[↩]

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