Montana Indians

Updated: February 2, 2026

Tribes, Reservations, and Population

Montana is home to many distinct Native nations whose cultures are very much alive and changing. Native people remain a vital part of the state's identity and population.

Montana has twelve tribal nations, including eleven principal tribal groups that live on seven federally recognized reservations, plus the landless Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians headquartered in Great Falls. The seven reservations are Flathead, Blackfeet, Rocky Boy's, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow, each home to one or more tribes such as the Salish, Pend d'Oreille, Kootenai, Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Sioux, Chippewa, Cree, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow.

Native people make up one of the largest shares of any state's population. Recent estimates suggest that around 7-8 percent of Montana residents identify as American Indian or Alaska Native alone, or roughly about 90,000 people. Before trappers, soldiers, and settlers arrived, these nations moved widely across what is now Montana and the Northern Plains, following the bison and other seasonal foods and maintaining trade and alliances with one another.

Living Cultures and Celebrations

Each tribal nation has its own languages, stories, and ways of life, and communities work hard to keep those traditions strong while also participating in modern education, jobs, and technology. Language revitalization programs, immersion schools, and cultural classes on reservations and in Montana public schools help younger generations learn their people's history, songs, and traditional games.

Throughout the year, tribes host public events where visitors are welcome to observe and sometimes participate respectfully. Powwows feature traditional and contemporary dances, drumming, and songs; they may include "round dances" or intertribal dances where guests are invited to join. Crow Fair, held near Crow Agency, is often called the "Teepee Capital of the World" and creates one of the largest Native encampments in North America, with thousands of tipis and tens of thousands of visitors. Other major events include Milk River Indian Days at Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Annual Powwow, along with many local celebrations, honor dances, and rodeos across the state.

Places to Learn and Visit

Montana's reservations and tribal communities include museums, cultural centers, and historic sites that share Native histories from Native perspectives. Examples include the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning (Blackfeet Nation), Chief Plenty Coups State Park and Museum in Pryor (Crow Nation), the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Museum in Lame Deer, and the Upper Missouri Dakota & Nakoda Cultural Center in Poplar (Fort Peck Reservation). Visitors can also learn about tribal history at places like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on the Crow Reservation, where Native and U.S. Army histories are interpreted side by side.

On the Flathead Reservation, the land once known as the National Bison Range has been restored to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who now manage it and its bison herd as tribal trust land. This transfer, completed after Congress passed a law in 2020, is often cited as an important example of Indigenous stewardship and the return of homelands.

Respect, Names, and Visiting Today

Most Native people in Montana prefer to be identified by their specific tribal nation (such as Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, or Salish) rather than simply "Indian." Many social events-such as powwows, hand-game tournaments, stick games, and rodeos-are open to the public, but some religious and cultural ceremonies are private or invitation-only.

Visitors are asked to follow local rules, listen carefully to announcers, and show respect-for example, asking permission before taking photos of dancers or ceremonies, dressing modestly, and offering food or small gifts in appropriate situations. Tribes continue to practice their spiritual traditions and to protect sacred places, even as they navigate challenges such as land rights, resource development, and economic inequality.

Historical Perspective

For thousands of years, the homelands that are now called Montana were shared and contested by many Native nations, who traveled widely, hunted bison, and traded along major river valleys and mountain passes. The arrival of Europeans and Americans brought guns, new trade goods, Christian missions, and devastating diseases, which caused sharp population losses even before many settlers arrived in person.

In the 1800s, broken treaties, wars, and forced removals pushed most tribes onto reservations, while the near-extinction of the bison destroyed a key source of food, clothing, and tools. Even so, Montana's Native nations survived and continue to adapt-governing their reservations, running schools and colleges, restoring languages, managing lands and wildlife, and sharing their cultures with future generations and respectful visitors.

Are you looking for more information? Be sure to check out these Montana Kids presentations:

• Blackfeet Indian Reservation
• Crow Indian Reservation
• Flathead Indian Reservation 
• Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
• Fort Peck Indian Reservation
• Northern Cheyenne Reservation
Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation

Website: VisitMT - Indian Nations

Updated: February 2, 2026