Flathead Indian Reservation

Flathead Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
View northeastward across Hungry Horse Reservoir onto the Flathead Range, Montana
Flag
Location of Flathead Indian Reservation and territory, Montana
Country	United States
State	Montana
Counties	Lake, Sanders, Missoula, and Flathead
Established	1855
Government
• Governing Body	Tribal Council
Area
• Total	1,938 sq mi (5,020 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	28,359
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)

The Flathead Indian Reservation, located in western Montana on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes - also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. The reservation was created through the July 16, 1855, Treaty of Hellgate, and reservation has land on four of Montana's counties: Lake, Sanders, Missoula, and Flathead. The Flathead Indian Reservation, west of the Continental Divide, consists of 1,938 square miles (5,020 km²) (1,317,000 acres (533,000 ha)) of forested mountains and valleys.

Native Americans have lived in Montana for more than 14,000 years, based on archaeological findings. The Bitterroot Salish came from the West Coast, whereas the Kootenai lived mostly in the interior of present-day Idaho, Montana, and Canada. The Kootenai left artifacts in prehistoric time. One group of the Kootenai in the northeast lived mainly on buffalo hunting. Another group lived on the rivers and lakes of the mountains in the west. When they moved east, they could rely less on salmon fishing, but turned to eating plants and buffalo. During the 18th century, the Salish and the Kootenai tribes shared gathering and hunting grounds. As European-American settlers entered the area, the peoples came into conflict.

In 1855 the United States (US) made the Treaty of Hellgate, by which it set aside a reservation solely for the Flathead. Although the tribe opposed European-style allotments and farming, the US Congress passed the 1904 Flathead Allotment Act. After allotments of land to individual households of members on the tribal rolls, the government declared the rest "surplus" and opened the reservation to homesteading by whites. United States Senator Joseph M. Dixon of Montana played a key role in getting this legislation passed. Its passage caused much resentment by the Flathead, and the allotment of reservation lands remains "a very sensitive issue". The Flathead would like to regain control of their reservation lands.