Preceden

Blackfeet History Timeline

(Before 1700–Present)

Blackfeet History encompasses the experiences, traditions, political life, and resilience of the Blackfeet people, one of the nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Their homeland includes the Northern Plains and the Rocky Mountain region, especially present-day Montana and Alberta. Less

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Land and treaties

European American and Canadian encroachment

1870 - 1899

During the late 19th century, European Americans and Canadians encroached on Blackfeet territory and annexed portions of it, contributing to the loss of Blackfeet lands.

Blackfeet land cessions

1870 - 1899

By the end of the 19th century, European American and Canadian pressure forced the Blackfeet to cede their lands.

Treaty of 1896 establishes the reservation

1896

The Treaty of 1896 established the reservation and defined the relationship between Blackfeet lands and adjacent federally controlled areas.

Lewis and Clark National Forest is established

1896

Lewis and Clark National Forest was established in 1896 adjacent to the Blackfeet reservation, on part of the tribal nation's former territory.

Blackfeet reserve access rights

1896

Although the sacred Rocky Mountain Front area was excluded from Blackfeet lands by the Treaty of 1896, the Blackfeet reserved uninhibited access for hunting, foraging, and fishing.

Treaty hunting and fishing rights

1896

The Treaty of 1896 preserved Blackfeet tribal members' rights to hunt and fish in the Badger-Two Medicine area in accordance with state law.

Treaty domestic wood-cutting rights

1896

The Treaty of 1896 also preserved the right of Blackfeet tribal members to cut wood for domestic use in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

Glacier National Park becomes part of the former territory

1910

Glacier National Park, established on part of the Blackfeet nation's former territory, became one of the federally controlled areas adjacent to the reservation.

Image source: Glacier National Park (U.S.)

Glacier National Park becomes part of the former territory

Cultural preservation

John Two Guns White Calf leads the Piegan Blackfeet

1872 - 1934

John Two Guns White Calf lived from 1872 to 1934. He was a chief of the Piegan Blackfeet in Montana, described as the last chief of the Blackfoot Tribe, and served as the model for the Washington Redskins logo.

Traditional Cultural District eligibility

2002

In 2002, the Department of the Interior declared roughly two-thirds of the Badger-Two Medicine area—almost 90,000 acres—eligible for listing as a Traditional Cultural District in the National Register of Historic Places.

Blackfeet document the area as a human landscape

2007

The Blackfeet documented that the Badger-Two Medicine area was not a wilderness but a human landscape shaped by and integral to their culture. This position contrasted with the 1964 designation of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Blackfeet oral history informs lease negotiations

2014

In 2014, the Blackfeet used ethnographic documentation of their oral history, use, and practices to negotiate with stakeholders over drilling-rights leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

Community and economy

Elouise P. Cobell serves as tribal treasurer

1945 - 2011

Elouise P. Cobell, who lived from 1945 to 2011, served as tribal treasurer and founded Blackfeet Nation Bank.

Blackfeet firefighters earn seasonal income

2000

In 2000, about 1,000 Blackfeet worked as firefighters, including members of the elite Chief Mountain Hotshots team. Together they brought in $6.1 million, with yearly incomes varying according to wildfire severity.

Blackfeet employment statistics are reported

2001

In 2001, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported 69 percent unemployment among registered members of the tribe.

Reservation farms report $9 million income

2002

Farms located at least partly on the reservation reported total income of $9 million in 2002.

Federal officers replace native police

2003

In 2003, the Blackfeet worked with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to replace native police with federal officers because of problems in the local force.

Reservation population reaches 10,405

2010

The 2010 census reported 10,405 people living on the reservation lands.

Blackfeet Tribal Business Council approves initiatives

Apr 30, 2010

On April 30, 2010, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council approved three major initiatives totaling $5.5 million.

Elouise P. Cobell dies

2011

Elouise P. Cobell, the Blackfeet tribal treasurer and founder of Blackfeet Nation Bank, died in 2011.

Debora Juarez serves on Seattle City Council

2016 - 2024

Debora Juarez, a Blackfeet member, served on the Seattle City Council from 2016 through 2024 and later returned to the council in 2025.

Reservation unemployment is reported at 11 percent

May 2016

Preliminary non-seasonally adjusted data from the Montana Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program reported an 11.0 percent unemployment rate on the reservation in May 2016, compared with 3.6 percent for Montana and 4.5 percent for the United States.

Energy and conservation

Oil and gas production expands

1982

In 1982, the reservation area had 643 producing oil wells and 47 producing gas wells.

Federal suspension of most drilling leases

1990 - 1999

During the 1990s, the United States federal government temporarily suspended most leasing activities for drilling in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

New drilling permits are permanently halted

2007

In 2007, the Bush administration made permanent a moratorium on issuing new drilling permits in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

Leaseholders relinquish drilling rights

2014 - 2016

Many leaseholders voluntarily relinquished their drilling leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area as the Blackfeet pursued protection of the culturally significant landscape.

Devon Energy leases are canceled

Nov 2016

In November 2016, the Department of the Interior announced cancellation of the 15 drilling-rights leases held by Devon Energy Corporation in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

Badger-Two Medicine drilling ruling favors Blackfeet

Jun 2020

In June 2020, a court ruled in favor of the Blackfeet Nation and maintained that Solenex could not drill in the Badger-Two Medicine area.

Appeals court authorizes Solenex drilling

2021

During the Biden administration in 2021, a federal appeals court overturned the earlier ruling and further authorized Solenex to drill.

Solenex settlement ends drilling activities

2023

In 2023, the Blackfeet and Solenex settled for $2.3 million, ending all of Solenex's current and future activities on the land.

Key Facts

  1. The Blackfoot Confederacy traditionally includes the Siksikaitsitapi: the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani; the Southern Piegan, known as the Blackfeet Nation, is based primarily in Montana.
  2. Blackfoot peoples have longstanding cultural, spiritual, and economic connections to the Northern Plains and the Rocky Mountains.
  3. Horses, acquired during the eighteenth century, transformed travel, hunting, warfare, and trade across Blackfoot territory.
  4. The 1855 Treaty with the Blackfeet established important relationships with the United States, while later federal policies reduced Blackfeet landholdings and sovereignty.
  5. The Blackfeet Nation continues to preserve its language, ceremonies, cultural practices, and political sovereignty while addressing contemporary challenges.

Source

This Blackfeet History timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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