Northern Cheyenne Reservation

Updated: February 3, 2026

The Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation is in southeastern Montana, in rolling breaks and pine hills between the Tongue River on the east and the Crow Reservation on the west. It covers about 444,000-445,000 acres (around 690 square miles), and most of that land is tribally owned. The tribe has roughly 12,000 enrolled members, with several thousand Northern Cheyenne and other Native residents living on or near the reservation. Lame Deer is the tribal headquarters and largest community, with Busby, Ashland, and Birney as other important population centers.

Tribal government is the largest employer on the reservation, followed by federal agencies, the St. Labre Indian School system, local schools, and health and social-service programs. Ranching, farming, timber, small businesses, and work in nearby coal and power industries also contribute to family incomes. The tribe has discussed and debated energy development on and near its lands, weighing jobs and revenue against protection of water, air quality, and cultural sites.

Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer is a tribally controlled community college that offers associate degrees and certificates in areas such as Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Addiction Counseling, Office Management, and trades, along with general-education courses. Many programs include classes in Cheyenne language, Cheyenne history, and Cheyenne oral traditions so that higher education supports both job skills and cultural knowledge.

Places of Interest

• Chief Two Moons Monument and nearby historic sites honoring Cheyenne leaders and warriors involved in Plains conflicts and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
• Chief Dull Knife College, which often hosts cultural events, lectures, and exhibits on Northern Cheyenne history, language, and contemporary life.
• St. Labre Indian School and Museum in Ashland, where visitors can learn about Cheyenne and other tribal histories and see historical photos and artifacts.

Events

The Northern Cheyenne host several major powwows and celebrations each year. The Northern Cheyenne Memorial Day Powwow near Busby, held on the late-May holiday weekend, brings together dancers, singers, and families for honoring ceremonies, social dancing, and contests. Other important gatherings include summer celebrations such as White River Days and community powwows in Lame Deer and Ashland, including a 4th of July powwow and a Labor Day powwow. Visitors are welcome at public events and are encouraged to follow announcer instructions, dress respectfully, and ask permission before taking photographs of individuals or ceremonies.

Historical Perspective

The Northern Cheyenne are one of two main divisions of the Cheyenne people (the other is the Southern Cheyenne in Oklahoma). Their traditional homelands extended across parts of present-day Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. After years of conflict and forced relocations in the 1800s-including fighting alongside Lakota allies in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn and later attempts to remove them to Indian Territory-many Northern Cheyenne insisted on returning to their homelands.

In the 1880s, the United States recognized a reservation for the Northern Cheyenne in southeastern Montana, and later boundary adjustments fixed most of its current lines. Like other Plains nations, the Northern Cheyenne suffered from the loss of the buffalo, allotment of tribal lands, boarding schools, and bans on ceremonies, all of which threatened language and traditions. Despite these pressures, many families kept ceremonies, stories, and the Cheyenne language alive, and today schools, colleges, and community programs are actively revitalizing them.

Today, the Northern Cheyenne Nation continues to protect its land and water, strengthen tribal institutions, and share parts of its culture with respectful visitors, while honoring ancestors who ensured that the people remained on their homeland between the Tongue River and the high ridges of southeastern Montana.

Northern Cheyenne Reservation
Box 128, Lame Deer, MT 59043
406-477-6284 Fax 406-477-6210
http://www.cheyennenation.com

Northern Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 991, Lame Deer, MT 59043
406-477-884

VisitMT - Cheyenne Nation

Updated: February 3, 2026