Over a decade ago, in early 2011, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Montana initiated a series of conversations with Northern Cheyenne traditional elders and officials at Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) regarding ways to enhance resource management cooperation between the federal agency and the tribe. The BLM wanted to adjust--and in some…

Eighty-six Cheyenne families followed Little Wolf to his self-imposed exile near Rosebud Creek. To most observers, this blind loyalty to a fallen leader required little explanation. After all, Little Wolf had recently led his people in a costly yet courageous escape from Indian Territory, fighting through the dead of winter back to the Northern…

The federal policy of termination against Native Americans was on a high roll from 1946 to 1954. The policy received explicit expression in House Concurrent Resolution 108, passed in 1953, which stated that "Indians should be made subject to the same laws and entitled to the same privileges and responsibilities as are applicable to other…

State and local governments spend billions of dollars annually on the construction, renovation, and maintenance of public school facilities, yet concerns persist about the condition of some school facilities, particularly in school districts serving students residing on Indian lands. The Department of Education's (Education) Impact Aid Program…

The Indian fair is that rare example of a government program for Indians gone terribly right. Implemented by the Office of Indian Affairs on reservations in the early 1900s, Indian fairs allowed Native people to exhibit their crops, livestock, and domestic handiwork in competition for prizes much the same way whites did at their numerous county…

Recent cutbacks in Indian Health Service (IHS) funding, particularly for urban programs, generated political mobilization and intergroup conflict among several Indian groups with IHS-funded programs. A Montana survey revealed gross underestimation of urban Indian population and high levels of unmet needs for health care services. Contains 27…

This document discusses tribal governance as part of the "Native American Week" on Montana State University's Bozeman campus. The document contains a commissioned paper, a panel discussion, a speech, and a list of legal documents of tribal governments in Montana. The commissioned paper, "Federal Indian Policy: A Summary," by…

Considering the sizable number of visitors to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana each year (more than four hundred thousand in fiscal year 2002), careful examination of the prominence of "Custer's Last Stand" in American mythology, and the widespread use of the phrase…

Programs concerning environmental energy and energy-resource development were designed and implemented by the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to provide information, training, and technical assistance to Native American tribes. Conducted on reservations in an attempt to partially meet the needs and concerns of American Indians regarding the…

The goals of the Indian Education Project were to identify and discuss the involvement of federal, tribal, and state governments in the education of Indian children and to assist states in fulfilling their responsibilities in Indian education. A task force and other interested legislators, educators, and tribal representatives met regularly…

A fact sheet reported medical care costs incurred and funding sources received by county and local governments in Blaine and Hill Counties, Montana, to provide care for indigent Indians. Data obtained from county clerk and recorder offices and welfare departments showed that Blaine County spent about 1% of its operating revenue on indigent medical…

Questions about the usefulness of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 are raised in this paper, which emphasizes references to the federally recognized tribal governments of Montana. Part 1 presents an historical overview of the political status of American Indians, especially issues that have influenced federal and tribal attitudes toward Indian…

The educational system in Montana is not working for its American Indian students. Dropout rates continue to be extremely high, standardized tests scores are mostly below the state benchmark, curriculum and instruction are not oriented toward promoting Indian culture and history, and the local Board of Trustee system still does not promote…

Focusing on the Johnson O'Malley Act (JOM) and its relationship to subsequent laws, this report on the financing of Indian education in public schools examines the allocation and use of JOM funds for basic educational costs and for supplementary programs, as well as the mixes of local, state, and federal tax revenues available to school districts…

As part of an effort to identify states' roles and responsibilities in Indian education, major unresolved problems in Indian education were identified by survey and on-site visits in Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Educators, government officials, parents, students, and tribal officials were surveyed regarding educational…