Niniaistako: Oral Documentation of Cultural Use by the Blackfoot People

Matthews, Betty

Documentation of the connection between Chief Mountain and the Blackfoot People, this report was contracted for by Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Historic Preservation Office. The Chief Mountain area of the Rocky Mountains, which lies near the border of Canada and the United States, has long been an integral component of Blackfoot culture.Both the National Park Service and the Blackfeet Tribal Government have jurisdictionover this area and, when constructing policies, must be cognizant of this ongoing culturalaffinity with the region. There are published materials documenting the spiritual andeconomic relationship between the Blackfoot people in the United States and Canada andthe Rocky Mountains in general; however, the sources lack primary documentation and afocus on the Chief Mountain area. This project, Chief Mountain: Oral Documentation ofCultural Use by the Blackfoot People, is an important step toward remedying the vacuity.Blackfoot elders in the U.S. and Canada were interviewed to aggregate their knowledgepertaining to their extant cultural affiliation with the Chief Mountain area specifically.The elders articulated the historical and continuous cultural connection of the People tothe area. In many ways, Chief Mountain represents a cultural stronghold for theBlackfoot. It is central to their worldview and currently serves as a primary location forthe cultural and religious reemergence of the People’s traditional way of life. Themountain symbolizes the need for cooperation across national jurisdictions because itlocated on the boundary between the Blackfeet Reservation and Glacier National Parkand is less than 7 km from the Canadian border. Cultural and ritual use of ChiefMountain is increasing, as is recreational use of the mountain. Many Blackfoot Peoplebelieve it is time for a joint plan among the nations that will raise awareness of themountain’s importance to the Blackfoot People and will increase the level of resourceprotection that currently exists. Utilizing the information in this report, land managers canestablish new policies or alter existing policies and achieve an improved cooperationbetween the Blackfoot People and the National Park Services in both the U.S. andCanada. As a first step, it is recommended that the information from this report be usedas a foundation to nominate Chief Mountain to the National Register of Historic Places asa Traditional Cultural Property. The nomination would be a collaborative effort betweenGlacier National Park and the Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office and wouldinclude recognition and support from our Canadian partners.

Niniaistako: Oral Documentation of Cultural Use by the Blackfoot People

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