Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Governor's Office: Montana Indian Historical Jurisdiction Study Records, 1851-1975
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana. Governor
- Title
- Montana Governor's Office: Montana Indian Historical Jurisdiction Study Records
- Dates
- 1851-1975 (inclusive)18511975
- Quantity
- 6 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 266
- Summary
- This collection (1851-1975) consists of copies of documents housed in the National Archives and the Seattle Federal Records Center affecting Montana Indians and reservations and including copies of treaties, statutes, executive orders, and reports compiled and microfilmed by Historical Research Associates (HRA) of Missoula, Montana. Also included are four volumes containing a description of the project, a review of Montana Indian policy, individual reservation histories, lists of legislative acts, list of documents on microfiche, a bibliography, significant excerpts from the reservation superintendents' annual reports, and an index to archival documents on Montana Indian reservations.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
Collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The "General Appropriation Act of 1977," appropriated money for the Governor's Office to undertake treaty review and research of Indian Affairs in the State of Montana. In December 1977, the Governor's Office contracted with Historical Research Associates (HRA) of Missoula, Montana, to conduct research into treaties, statutes, and executive orders affecting Montana reservations. Particular emphasis was to be placed on those documents concerning reservation establishment and boundary delineation. A few months after the award of this contract, the Governor's Office expanded the project to issues involving Indian hunting and fishing rights. HRA staff reseachers began work on the treaty review and research project in December, 1977. Following the compilation of documents involving boundary and/or fishing issues, staff researchers began an investigation of various annual reports of Indian agents in Montana. In addition, a researcher traveled to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and to the Seattle Federal Records Center in Seattle, Washington, to investigate archival documents relating to Indian affairs. Concomitant with the collection of archival documents, a researcher prepared legislative histories for some 50 significant treaties, acts and executive orders. By early spring, 1979, some 15,000 pages of documents had been collected and organized by project team members. At this point, research historians began compiling brief overviews of treaties, statutes and executive orders that affected various Montana reservations. In June, 1979, the Governor's Office contracted with HRA to supervise the microfilming of all documents. That process was completed in October of 1980.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consist of copies of documents housed in the National Archives and the Federal Records Center (Seattle) regarding treaties, statutes, executive orders, and reports affecting Montana Indians and reservations compiled and microfilmed by Historical Research Associates (HRA), Missoula, Montana. Also included are four volumes published by HRA containing a description of the project, a review of Montana Indian Policy, individual reservation histories, a list of legislative acts, a list of documents on microfiche, a bibliography, significant excerpts from the Reservation Superintendent's Annual Reports, and an index to archival documents of Montana Indian reservations. [Transferred by Al Newell, HRA, March 23, 1981, and July 26, 1981.]
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Printed Materials Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1-1a / | Guides and Index |
undated |
Legislative Materials Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 1 | Treaties, laws, executive orders (general) |
1858-1920 |
2 / 2 | Treaties, laws, executive orders (general) |
1920-1975 |
2 / 3 | Treaties, laws, executive orders (general) |
1824-1975 |
2 / 4 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, and
executive orders (regarding allotments, timber rights, irrigation, land cessions,
railroad right-of-way, school districts, non-Indians on reservation) |
1824-1975 |
2 / 5 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (general) |
1825-1917 |
2 / 6 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding allotments and claims) |
1880-1953 |
2 / 7 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding irrigation) |
1891-1946 |
2 / 8 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding land cessions) |
1886-1937 |
2 / 9 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding non-Indians on reservation) |
1873-1958 |
2 / 10 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding railroad right-of-way) |
1864-1893 |
2 / 11 | Crow Indian Reservation: treaties, laws, executive
orders (regarding schools) |
1918 |
2 / 12 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (general) |
1855-1966 |
2 / 13 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding allotments and claims) |
1904-1969 |
2 / 14 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding irrigation) |
1904-1964 |
2 / 15 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding land cessions) |
1905-1968 |
2 / 16 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding non-Indians on reservation) |
1871-1916 |
2 / 17 | Flathead Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding railroad right-of-way, schools, townsites) |
1882-1952 |
2 / 18 | Fort Belknap Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding allotment, claims, irrigation, and land cessions) |
1824-1930 |
3 / 1 | Fort Peck Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding allotments, claims, irrigation, land cessions, non-Indians
on reservation, and schools) |
1824-1975 |
3 / 2 | Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (regarding allotments, irrigation, and non-Indians on reservation) |
1868-1968 |
3 / 3 | Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation: treaties, laws,
executive orders (general) |
1908-1974 |
3 / 4 | Act of May 25, 1824 (regarding authorization for
negotiations for 1825 treaties) |
1824 |
3 / 5 | Fort Laramie Treaty (documents) |
1851 |
3 / 6 | Flathead and Blackfeet Treaties (documents) |
1855 |
3 / 7 | Crow and Northern Cheyenne Treaties (documents) |
1868 |
3 / 8 | Act of July 2, 1864 (legislative history) |
1864 |
3 / 9 | Act of June 5, 1872 (legislative history) |
1872 |
3 / 10 | Act of March 3, 1873 (to establish the Judith Basin
Reserve) |
1873 |
3 / 11 | Act of April 15, 1874 (to establish Greater Blackfeet
Reservation) |
1874 |
3 / 12 | Act of April 11, 1882 (regarding Crow Indians cession
of land and allotments) |
1882 |
4 / 1 | Act of July 10, 1882 (regarding Crow Indian land
cessions to Northern Pacific Railroad) |
1882 |
4 / 2 | Agreement of September 2, 1882 (regarding Flathead
Indians) |
1882 |
4 / 3 | Act of July 4, 1884 (regarding Indian Trust Fund
Stocks) |
1884 |
4 / 4 | Act of May 15, 1886 (regarding appropriations for
Indian programs) |
1886 |
4 / 5 | Act of February 8, 1887 (regarding alllotment in
severalty, the Dawes Act) |
1887 |
4 / 6 | Act of February 15, 1887 (regarding right-of-way for
the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company) |
1887 |
4 / 7 | Act of May 1, 1888 (regarding the establishment of
reservations) |
1888 |
5 / 1 | Act of August 19, 1890 (regarding appropriations for
Indian programs) |
1890 |
5 / 2 | Act of September 25, 1890 (regarding the sale of a
section of Crow Indian Reservation to U.S. government) |
1890 |
5 / 3 | Act of February 28, 1891 (regarding extention of
Indian benefits under allotment in severalty, Dawes Act of 1887) |
1891 |
5 / 4 | Act of March 3, 1891 (regarding cession of land in
Crow Indian Reservation) |
1891 |
5 / 5 | Act of July 13, 1892 (regarding appropriations for
Indian programs) |
1892 |
6 / 1 | Act of March 2, 1895 (regarding appropriations for
Indian programs) |
1895 |
6 / 2 | Act of June 10, 1896 (regarding Blackfoot and Fort
Belknap Indian Reservation land cessions) |
1896 |
6 / 3 | Act of July 1, 1898 (regarding appropriations for
Indian programs) |
1898 |
7 / 1 | William McKinley's Executive Order, March 19, 1900
(regarding the removal of Northern Cheyenne Indians to the Crow Indian Reservation) |
1900 |
7 / 2 | Act of March 3, 1903 (regarding the exempt status of
the Five Civilized Tribes) |
1903 |
7 / 3 | Act of April 23, 1904 (regarding survey and allotment
within the Flathead Indian Reservation) |
1904 |
7 / 4 | Act of April 27, 1904 (regarding cession and
allotment of Crow Reservation lands) |
1904 |
7 / 5 | Act of May 8, 1906 (regarding allotments) |
1906 |
7 / 6 | Act of March 1, 1907 (regarding allotments of
Blackfeet Indian Reservation lands) |
1907 |
8 / 1 | Act of April 30, 1908, (regarding allotments on
Flathead Indian Reservation, appropriations for various Indian programs, and relief
for Indians on Rocky Boys Indian Reservation) |
1908 |
8 / 2 | Act of May 30, 1908 (regarding allotment of Fort Peck
Indian Reservation) |
1908 |
8 / 3 | Act of February 11, 1915 (regarding the survey of
lands on the Fort Assinniboine Military Reservation to open it for settlement) |
1915 |
8 / 4 | Act of September 7, 1916 (regarding opening Fort
Assinniboine Military Reservation for settlement, and establishing the Rocky Boy's
Indian Reservation) |
1916 |
8 / 5 | Act of June 30, 1919 (regarding appropriation for
various Indian programs, disposing of unalloted land on the Blackfeet Indian
Reservation) |
1919 |
9 / 1 | Act of June 4, 1920 (regarding the cession, survey
and allotment, and disposal of surplus lands on the Crow Indian Reservation) |
1920 |
9 / 2 | Act of March 3, 1921 (regarding allotment of lands on
the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation) |
1921 |
9 / 3 | Act of September 21, 1922 (regarding extending the
time for allotments on the Crow Indian Reservation) |
1922 |
9 / 4 | Act of February 14, 1923 (regarding allotments) |
1923 |
9 / 5 | Act of June 3, 1926 (regarding appropriation for
various projects on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation) |
1926 |
9 / 6 | Act of June 18, 1934 (regarding granting Indians the
freedom to organize local governments, financial institutions, etc.) |
1934 |
10 / 1 | Act of May 14, 1935 (regarding addition to the Rocky
Boy's Indian Reservation) |
1935 |
10 / 2 | Act of August 31, 1937 (regarding the removal of
certain lands from the Crow Indian Reservation) |
1937 |
10 / 3 | Act of March 28, 1939 (regarding addition to Rocky
Boy's Indian Reservation) |
1939 |
10 / 4 | Act of August 13, 1946 (regarding Indian claims in
the U.S. Court of Claims, creation of an Indian Court of Claims, and an Claims
Commission) |
1946 |
10 / 5 | Act of August 18, 1950 (regarding rehabilitation of
landless Indians on the Rocky Boy's Reservation) |
1950 |
10 / 6 | House Concurrent Resolution 108, August 1, 1953
(regarding the removal of certain Indian tribes from wardship status) |
1953 |
10 / 7 | Act of July 12, 1960 (regarding penalties for the
destruction of boundary and warning signs on reservations) |
1960 |
11 / 1 | Act of January 4, 1975 (regarding Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act) |
1975 |
Subject Files Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
11 / 2 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation (regarding non-Indians
herding cattle across reservation; timber rights; hunting and fishing in and around
Glacier National Park; the reduction of Indian Reservations; allotments; the townsite
for Browning; female Indians and their rights to alloted lands; and intertribal
marriage) |
1883-1908 |
11 / 3 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation (regarding railroad
right-of-way; allotments; fishing permits; townsite for Midvale; surplus lands
appraisal; townsite for Blackfoot; Great Northern Railroad; opening reservation for
settlement on surplus lands) |
1909-1913 |
11 / 4 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation (regarding common
hunting ground, surplus lands, allotments, hunting and fishing permits (The Blackfoot
Project), hunting in and near Glacier National Park) |
1914-1915 |
11 / 5 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation (regarding hunting in
and near Glacier National Park, re-allotments, hunting and fishing regulations,
U.S.-Canadian boundary easements) |
1916-1918 |
11 / 6 | Blackfeet Indian Reservation (regarding hunting in
and near Glacier National Park; surplus lands; re-allotment; hunting and fishing
permits; townsite for Browning; irrigation; fee patent lands; legal juridiction for
prosecuting Indians committing crimes on the reservation; tribal land leases;
agricultural, oil, and gas development) |
1919-1939 |
11 / 7 | Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (regarding
extention of reservation to Tongue River; allotments; white encroachment; inspection
of reservation; map (1931); adjustment of Northern Pacific land grant; hunting and
fishing on tribal lands; and surplus lands appraisal) |
1884-1938 |
11 / 8 | Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (regarding
landless Indians; hunting and fishing on reservation; Tongue River Reservation;
surveys; allotments; status of land adjacent to reservation; World War II and its
effect on services for Indians; schools; governing bodies on reservation; The
Wheeler-Howard Act; water rights; Fighting Bear, Hollowbreast, and John Medicine Bird
speeches; poverty; and land leases) |
1941-1958 |
12 / 1 | Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (regarding the Little
Rockies Mountains and the boundaries of the reservaiton; right-of-way; white
settlement on ceded lands; Indian sale of houses to non-Indians; removal of Indians at
Fort Belknap; petition opposing allotments; trespassing on reservation; hunting and
fishing; and townsites) |
1884-1934 |
12 / 2 | Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (regarding
allotments; non-ward Indians; Blackfoot, Blood, Piegan and Gros Venture Indians;
fishing and hunting on reservation; Indian land tenure; subsistance homestead lands;
legal juridiction for crimes committed on the reservation; and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs) |
1935-1960 |
12 / 3 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding Northern
Pacific Railroad right-of-way; relationship with Missoula and the Bitteroot Valley;
timber rights on reservation in regards to railroad; extention of boundaries;
trespassing of cattle and stockmen; surplus lands; Peter Ronan; and opening the
reservation for settlement) |
1881-1910 |
12 / 4 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding allotments,
hunting and fishing on the reservation, townsite for Ronan, right-of-way for the
Northen Pacific Railroad, timber sales, and boundaries of reservation) |
1881-1910 |
12 / 5 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding allotments,
timber rights; "Villa Estates"; boundaries, hunting and fishing; right-of-way for the
Northern Pacific Railroad; and Flathead, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Pende Orlene, Competency
Commission for the Flathead Reservation.) |
1911-1933 |
12 / 6 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding hunting and
fishing on reservation; statement of purpose and jurisdiction for Office of Indian
Affairs; jurisdiction of U.S. courts in regard to Indian offenses; the Flathead Tribal
Council; the Montana Power Company; allotments; state highways in and around the
reservation; and the U of M Biological Station.) |
1911-1913 |
12 / 7 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding legislation to
end the loss of reservation land due to allotment system; hunting and fishing on
reservation; Confederated Flathead Tribes; Kicking Horse Reservoir; Indian cattle
grazing on lands adjacent to reservation; and the Natural Resources Survey (1934)) |
1934-1935 |
12 / 8 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding grazing on
public domain; hunting and fishing; the Confederated Flathead Tribes; timber; Indian
Reorganization Act; and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.) |
1934-1935 |
13 / 1 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding reorganization
of Indian Justice Courts; the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; hunting and fishing licences;
Blue Bay Townsite; Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and Pablo National Wildlife
Refuge; grazing on state lands; Flathead Irrigating Project; and boundaries.) |
1936-1942 |
13 / 2 | Flathead Indian Reservation (Blue Bay Camp, Ninepipe
National Wildlife Refuge and Pablo National Wildlife Refuge; hunting and fishing on
reservation; the Flathead Irrigation Project; grazing; wildlife conservation; U.S.
Attorney General's opinions on jurisdiction; and aggreement between the Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council and the State Fish and Game Commission) |
1936-1942 |
13 / 3 | Flathead Indian Reservation (regarding grazing (i.e.
Flathead Tribal Council and Montana State Fish and Game Commission agreement);
Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and Pablo National Wildlife Refuge; Flathead Fish
and Game Ordinance; Lake Ronan Dike; legislation regarding liquidation of tribal
property; status of ward Indians; Flathead tribes purchase of the 1920 Allotments; and
legislation ending federal supervision of reservation) |
1943-1959 |
13 / 4 | Fort Peck Indian Reservation (regarding hunting and
fishing on reservation; boundaries; "Agreement with the Indians of the Fort Berthold
Agency" (December 14, 1886); Gros Venture and Mandan Indians; "Proceedings of Council
with the Sioux Indians of Fort Peck Agency"; agreements with Gros Venture, Piegan,
Blood, Blackfeet and River Crow Indians to reduce reservations; and St. Paul,
Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Company right-of-way) |
1883-1888 |
13 / 5 | Fort Peck Indian Reservation (Great Northern Railway
Company / St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway right-of-way; timber; gravel
harvesting adjacent to right-of-way (Wolf Point, Montana); appraisal and leasing of
gravel pits on reservation; stockyards at Oswego, Montana; relinguishment of
right-of-way on abandoned sites and re-location of right-of-way; mineral rights on
allotted lands; settlement of Fort Peck Reservation surplus lands; hunting and fishing
on reservation; and John J. Abers vs Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck
Indidan Reservation) |
1890-1956 |
13 / 6 | Rocky Boy Indian Reservation (legislation to open
Fort Assiniboine Military Reservation (1916); fish hatchery on Big Sandy Creek;
hunting and fishing on reservation; conflicts with Havre, Montana; Cowan Irrigation
tract, and expanding reservation; relief for Great Falls Indians (1931); and landless
Indians in Montana) |
1916-1953 |
14 / 1 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding opening a segment
of Crow Reservation to settlement (Emigrant Gulch, Crevice Gulch, etc.); survey and
right-of-way for Northern Pacific Railroad; modifying the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868;
timber harvesting by railroad beyond the right-of-way; construction of houses by white
settlers on right-of-way; and railroad driving cattle across reservation) |
1880-1883 |
14 / 2 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding reduction of Crow
Reservation; Northern Pacific Railroad driving cattle across the reservation; Rocky
Fork & Cooke City Railroad Company right-of-way (including grazing and timber
rights); boundaries; grass burning by Northern Pacific Railroad Company; white
encroachment on ceded lands; allotments; Cree Indians; and legislation proposed to
open unalloted lands on reservation) |
1884-1912 |
14 / 3 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding livestock raising
on reservation; opening up the reservation to white farmers/ranchers; and "Proceeding
of Crow Indian Council," November 22-23, 1913) |
1913 |
14 / 4 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding assistance to
young and ailing Crow Indians in Montana; opening the reservation to settlement by
whites; legislation calling for allotment and leasing of reservation lands;
developement of natural resources by tribal leadership; speeches by Plenty Coups
regarding allotment and lease policies; legislature giving Montana Indians access to
U.S. Court of Claims; citizenship for Indians; fishing and hunting regulations; land
grants for schools; sale of allotted land held in trust to American Veterans of
Foreign Wars; rights of Canadian Cree Indians; and townsites) |
1916-1923 |
15 / 1 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding legislation on
allotments, Crow Tribal Council contracting attorney to represent the tribe in
irrigation dispute with local farmers; hunting and fishing rights on and off
reservation, Crow Claims under the Fort Laramie Treaty; legislation on
self-government; the Wheeler-Howard Bill; and transplanting black bear and grizzly on
reservation) |
1926-1953 |
15 / 2 | Crow Indian Reservation (regarding Indian
Reorganization Act and legislative efforts to destroy it; placing control of wildlife
resources on reservation with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs; limiting non-Indian
travel on the reservations; hunting and fishing rights on the reservation and law
suits brought against the U.S. government; jurisdiction of Indian Courts; legislation
to abolish the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and a listing of legislation regarding
Indians (82nd session of Congress, 1953)) |
1926-1953 |
Reports Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
15 / 3 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1855-1865 |
15 / 4 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1866-1871 |
15 / 5 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1872-1877 |
15 / 6 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1878-1890 |
16 / 1 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1891-1899 |
16 / 2 | Secretary of Interior Annual Reports |
1900-1906 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indians of North America--Claims--Montana
- Indians of North America--Legal status, laws, etc.--Montana
- Indians of North America--Treaties--Montana
Geographical Names
- Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Crow Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Flathead Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Fort Peck Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (Mont.)
- Rocky Boys Indian Reservation (Mont.)