This Week in Tribal History

Mary Rogers, Tribal Preservation Department

June 10, 1871 from The New Northwest: "Deer Lodge was fairly swarming with aborigines yesterday from the lower country, en route to buffalo grounds. The party belongs to the Pend d'Oreille and Flathead tribes. Charlo, the son on Old Victor, commands the outfit, which consists of 300 braves with the usual number of squaws, papooses, cayuses, and dogs.

June 12,1885 from The Missoulian: Indians troublesome at the Van Dorn cabin, above Miller Creek. "It is supposed that the trouble arose through the Van Dorns fencing up the low water trail along the river last year and compelling the Indians to go around their hayfield. (Safford) At the north limits of our homestead there was a protected cove with a nice fine gravel bench. The Indians, in their travel from the Flathead to the Swan during their hunting seasons, used this place for resting station ... when the road was put through from Big Fork to Swan Lake, the rocks rolled down from the cuts and obliterated the old Indian trail, the Indians abandoned the lake shore and made their camp up on the road where a small stream crossed the road.

June 16, 1910 from The Plainsman: "Major W.H. Smead former agent of the Flathead Indians, now a big real estate man of Missoula, and who also conducted one of the biggest locating establishments in connection with the opening of the reservation was a Plains visitor Tuesday, accompanied by Judge J. 1. Sloane, who is in the employ of the former."

June 16, 1911 from The Plainsman: "The government announces that it will lease Flathead Indian lands lying along the Flathead river between Polson & Dixon, for a period of five years. These are known as "power site lands".

June 16, 1911 from The Plainsman: "J. W. Charley and Bert Roberts got the government contract for cutting the telephone poles for the government line to the McDonald ranch."

June 12, 1924 from The Lima Ledger: At the National Bison Range, St. Ignatius, "Because of the shortage of feed on the 18,00 acre bison range the bureau of biological survey, ... has found it necessary to reduce the herds which now number some 1,200 big game animals, including buffalo, elk, deer, and mountain sheep. Accordingly the slaughter and sale of 100 buffalo and 200 elk has been authorized for this year."

June 10, 1937 from The Ronan Pioneer: Alphonse Courville, 66, was buried June 4. "Mr. Courville was born in Frenchtown, the son of Louis Courville, old Canadian fur trader,. Besides his wife he leaves one son, Roy Courville of St. Ignatius; a daughter, Mrs. Tiffany of Seattle, Washington; and a brother Louis Courville of Polson."

June 16, 1949 from The Ronan Pioneer: "Pierre Adams . . . requested the cooperation of the Ronan Chamber of Commerce ...in staging a pow-wow in Ronan July 2 to 10. Through his interpreter, Baptiste Pichene, he said parades and dancing would be featured the first four days and the last four days will be occupied with games, peculiar to the Indians and dancing? a canvas of the town for donations to aid in the staging of the celebration will be made."

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.