Fort Peck Indian Reservation (Montana)

The Fort Peck Indian Reservation is a federally-recognized reservation, located in northeastern Montana, primarily in Roosevelt County, with smaller portions in Daniels, Sheridan, and Valley Counties..


 * Established -- September 17, 1851 and 17 October 1855
 * Agency (BIA) -- Fort Peck Indian Agency
 * Principal tribes -- Assiniboin, and Brulé, Santee, Teton, Hunkpapa and Yanktonai Sioux, Blackfeet Indians, and the Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians, Montana
 * Population -- 2010 census is 6,714 (when including mixed bloods it's 6,998) - Does not include non Indians  1969: Tribal enrollment 5,674

History
Fort Peck Reservation was established by Treaty of Oct. 17, 1855; unratified treaties of July 18, 1866, and July 13, and 15 and Sept. 1, 1868; Executive orders, July 5, 1873, and Aug. 19,1874; act of Apr. 15, 1874; Executive orders, Apr. 13, 1875, and July 13,1880; an agreement made Jan. 21, 1887, approved by Congress May 1, 1888; and an agreement made Dec. 28, 1886, approved by Congress may 1, 1888.

Its area in 1908 was 1,766,000 acres.

Fort Peck Reservation is within the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851 and approved on October 17, 1855. It was not created for Dakota Indians including the Brule, Hunkpapa, Santee, Teton, and Yanktonai. It was created for the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's, Flathead Chippewa's (they are a mixture of Algonquin and non Algonquin Indians), Assiniboine Chippewa's (they are a mixture of Algonquin and non Algonquin Indians) and Nez Perce. Read the treaty text.

A meeting was held at Joseph Paul's family's ranch near Lewistown, Montana in 1921. It was probably about filing a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851. The Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's continued to govern the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851. Not much came from the 1921 meeting.

Another meeting was held at Joseph Paul's home in Great Falls, Montana on June 10, 1939. Even in 1939, the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's were assigning district representatives for the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851.

After World War II, many of the Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa leaders became despondent and commenced to act on their own. In 1950, Joseph Dussome gave up and hired a lawyer and then in 1951 filed a land claims lawsuit about the original Blackfeet Reservation which was created on September 17, 1851. On April 5, 1974, the United States again refused to honor the treaty which created the original Blackfeet Reservation which Fort Peck Reservation is within.

Communities
Brockton: 2010 population is 255. Indians make up 96% of the population of Brockton. It covers 0.23 sq. mi. It is located in the east end of the Reservation.

Fort Kipp: 2010 population is a part of Brockton's population. Fort Kipp is a small community located several miles east of Brockton.

Frazer: 2010 population is 362. Indians make up 96% of the population of Frazer. It covers 1.65 sq. mi. It is located on the west end of the Reservation.

Poplar: 2010 population is 810. Indians make up 71.36% of the population of Poplar. When including mixed bloods it's 74.45%.

Poplar Zip Code Area 59255: 2010 population is 2,920. That does not include non Indians. Poplar zip code area covers 676 sq. mi.

Wolf Point: 2010 population is 2,621. Indians make up 50.52% of the population of Wolf Point. When including mixed bloods it's 56.05%. It covers 0.87 sq. mi. The Little Shell Blackfeet Chippewa's had a minor district at Wolf Point. In 1939, the district representative was Thomas Ouellette.

Records
Many of the records of individual Indians living on the Fort Peck Reservation were kept by the Fort Peck Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Others are kept by the Tribal Office.

Land records: Tribal lands: 233,153.17 acres. Allotted land: 645,114.20 acres.