This Week in Tribal History

Mary Rogers, Tribal Preservation Department

February 6, 1868 from The Helena Weekly Herald: Between 40-50 Pend d’Oreilles in Helena and are trading robes for flour. “They come from their camp about 10 miles from here, where they have some 10 lodges, containing eighty persons. About treaty lodges are in the vicinity of the Yellowstone hunting buffalo, and a few lodge under the head chief, are on the other side.”

February 10, 1905 from The Plainsman: “The house of representatives has passed the Dixon bill, granting 1280 acres of land in the Flathead Indian Reservation to the Catholic educational and charitable institutions. The grant also includes 160 acres which are turned over to the Montana State University at Missoula for a biological station.”

February 9, 1912 from The Plainsman: David Graham will construct a 600-foot bridge across the Pend d’Oreille river, it is due to be finished by May 15. “This bridge is . . . to give the people in the Camas Prairie and Little Bitterroot sections a more direct outlet to the railway.”

February 7, 1912 from The Big Arm Graphic: “Resolved, That the honorable secretary of the interior be requested to cause to be set aside the sum of $75,000- this sum to be taken from the Receipts of sales of Flathead reservation lands-to be expended in the building of public highways and bridges, under such supervision rules and regulations and at such points in the respective counties as shall be determined by the secretary of the interior.”

February 5, 1913 from The Big Arm Graphic: “The senate Indian affairs committee has adopted Senator Dixon’s amendment appropriating $400,000 for the continuation of the Flathead irrigation Project in the place of the $150,000 as passed by the house. . . . The committee also provided money for surveying the meander line of Flathead lake, which survey will make available the sales of the Big Arm townsite and villa sites around Flathead lake.”

February 5, 1915 from The Sanders County Signal: “Angus P. McDonald and Chief Scoostata (Koostahtah) were visitors in Camas Monday. They were returning from Dixon, where they took part in a meeting held in regard to the administration of the Indians affairs on the Reservation.”

February 11, 1937 from The Ronan Pioneer: “The Phoenix Engineering company, which is building the Flathead River hydroelectric dam for the Rocky Mountain Power company, near Polson, is now employing 627 and the monthly payroll totals $75,000.”

If you have any questions or comments please contact Mary Rogers at 675-2700, ext 1320, or Communication Director, Rob McDonald at ext. 1222. Newspaper articles may be suggested for the Preservation archives if the article includes the newspaper name, date and is from 1975 or earlier.