HELENA — Monday is Indigenous People’s Day and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States.
Donnie Wetzel Jr. of Amskapi Piikani (Blackfoot) tribe said, “The universe has a way of balancing things out, and I think it is time we start to recognize the original, the Indigenous people, a little bit more and honor it and look at it in that way…the coexistence."
According to the US Census Bureau, Indigenous peoples make up two percent of the United States population. Despite tragedy, native culture and stories continue to flourish, especially on days like Indigenous People’s Day when native culture is shared.
“As our tribal people heal from the atrocities that happened to them, we’re starting to reconnect to who and what we were. Our languages and cultures are coming back and it is making us more powerful and more beautiful," Wetzel says.
In Montana, there are eight federally recognized tribes and seven tribal reservations.
Across the state are numerous native landmarks and learning opportunities to better understand native Montanans and the people who shaped the country.
Wetzel says, “The more people understand the beauty and distinct nature and culture of our tribes the better. It is a good thing. I think a lot of people don’t understand that this country probably wouldn’t be the country it is without the help of the indigenous people.”
There are many ways to engage in Indigenous People’s Day and one of those is simply embracing love and acceptance, a key message in Amskapi Piikani.
“We have always been here and we always will be here,” Wetzel says.
From the VisitMT website:
- NIITSITAPI - BLACKFEET: The reservation is home to the Blackfeet tribe. Of the approximately 15,560 enrolled tribal members, there are about 7,000 living on or near the reservation.
- ANNISHINABE NE-I-YAH-WAHK - ROCKY BOY'S: Rocky Boy's provides a home for about 2,500 members of the Chippewa-Cree tribe. The name "Rocky Boy" was derived from the name of a leader of a band of Chippewa Indians.
- TSETSEHESESTEHASE SOTAAHE - NORTHERN CHEYENNE: Approximately 5,000 Northern Cheyenne, along with members of other tribes and non-Native Americans, live on the reservation. Lame Deer is the tribal and government agency headquarters.
- LITTLE SHELL: This band of the Chippewa Tribe is without a designated reservation in Montana. There are over 4,000 enrolled members within the state, many of which live in the Great Falls and surrounding area.
- NAKODA DAKOTA - FORT PECK: About 6,800 Assiniboine and Sioux live on the Fort Peck Reservation, with another approximately 3,900 tribal members living off the reservation.
- A'ANININ NAKODA - FORT BELKNAP: The Fort Belknap Reservation is home to two tribes, the Assiniboine, or Nakoda, and the Gros Ventre, who refer to themselves as A'aninin or "People of the White Clay." Combined enrollment is approximately 4,000.
- Salish, Pend d'Orielle, and Kootenai: The Flathead Indian Reservation is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. The tribes are a combination of the Salish, the Pend d'Oreille and the Kootenai.
- APSAALOOKE - CROW: About 75 percent of the Crow tribe's approximately 10,000 or more enrolled members live on or near the reservation. Eighty-five percent speak Crow as their first language.
From the State of Montana website:
