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The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is located in north central Montana. The reservation is the homeland of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre people. Established in 1888, the reservation is what remains of the vast ancestral territory of the Blackfeet and Assiniboine Nations. The Gros Ventre, as members of the Blackfeet confederacy, and the Assiniboine Nation signed the Fort Laramie treaties of 1851 and 1855 with the United States Government establishing their respective territories within the continental United States. The Fort Belknap Reservation is part of what remains of these two nations ancestral territory that included all of central and eastern Montana and portions of western North Dakota. The Blackfeet, and Fort Peck Indian Reservations are also part of this territorial boundaries.
You have arrived at the Official website of the Fort Belknap Casino! As you can see, our website is still. UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Please, check back often for updates to our site! HARLEM SCHOOL DISTRICT #12-HOME OF THE WILDCATS is located in Harlem, Montana. Our little town is located north of the Little Rockies and adjacent to the Fort Belknap Reservation in the Milk River Valley. The Fort Belknap Reservation is the homeland of two Native American tribes: the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine. Fort Belknap Casino. 104 Assiniboine Avenue. Harlem, MT 59526 (406) 353-2235 Phone. Browse the most recent Fort Belknap, Montana obituaries and condolences. Celebrate and remember the lives we have lost in Fort Belknap, Montana.
The 12-bed hospital has been replaced with a 6-bed infirmary, which was occupied May 18, 1998. As part of the treaties and agreement between the U.S. Government and Indian tribes, health services are to be provided to Indian people. This was in exchange for the many lands given up by the Indian people for things such as the railroad, homesteading, roads, reservoirs, and etc. The establishment of IHS did not occur until 1955, the concepts of dependency-to-self determination and tribal sovereignty have been a long-standing tradition.
The Gros Ventre call themselves 'AH-AH-NE-NIN' meaning the White Clay People. They believed that they were made from the White Clay that is found along the river bottoms in Gros Ventre country. Early French fur trappers and traders named this tribe 'Gros Ventre' because other tribes in the area referred to them as 'The Water Falls People.' The sign for water fall is the passing of the hands over the stomach and the French though the Indians were saying big belly so they called them 'Gros Ventre' meaning 'big belly' in the French language.
The Assiniboine refer to themselves as 'Nakoda' meaning the generous ones. This tribe split with the Yanktonai Sioux in the seventeenth century and migrated westward onto the northern plains with their allies, the Plains Cree. 'Assiniboine' is a Chippewa word meaning, 'One who cooks with stones.' The Assiniboine are located on both the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian Reservations in Montanan and on several reserves in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The Gros Ventre and Assinboine were nomadic hunters and warriors. They followed the buffalo which provided them with all the necessities of life. Their food, clothing and teepees all came from the buffalo. The buffalo was the Indian staff of life and the Assinboine and Gros Ventre and other plains tribes lived a good life with the buffalo. The last herd of buffalo in the continental United States in the nineteenth century existed between the Bear Paw Mountains and the Little Rocky Mountains in the lush Milk River valley.
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Today, the two tribes are united as one government called the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Together, the tribes have formed and maintained a community that has deep respect for it's land, it's culture, and it's heritage. Fort Belknap derives its name from the original military post that was established on the Milk River, one mile southwest of the present town of Chinook, Montana. The Fort, named for William W. Belknap, who was the Secretary of War at that time, was a military fort combined with a Trading Post. It became a Government agency for the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Indians living in the area.
Whenever travelers or residents for that matter talk about Hi-Line towns, Havre, Shelby, Glasgow, Wolf Point always enter the conversation. Some places, inexplicably to my mind, never do: Harlem is a case in point.
A gateway to the Fort Belknap Reservation, Harlem is one of the early Great Northern Railway towns, dating to 1889, and was established to serve as a commercial center on the northern border of the reservation.When the homesteading boom swept through the Hi-Line during the early 20th century, Harlem quickly expanded and most of the historic buildings found there today date between 1910 and 1940.
What struck me powerfully when I visited in 2013, compared to my last visit in 1984, was dual themes of growth and decline. The Aaniiih Nadoka College, established in 1884, had left its initial spartan quarters on the edge of the reservation into new modern-styled buildings, that still reflected the spirit of earlier vernacular styled buildings.
The 30-year growth of the college certainly underscored new opportunities as the flashy facade of the Ft Belknap Casino, facing U.S. Highway 2, showed a new revenue source. Standardized designs for federal housing also indicated the growth of a large neighborhood just south of the U.S. 2 and Montana 66 junction.
The theme of decline, however, marked the historic business district of Harlem. When I visited in 1984, Harlem had over 1000 residents–now that number is close to 800. Classic roadside gas stations, even at prominent corners, had closed.
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The Art Deco-ish Brekke Block (1941) only had a few going businesses; the early 20th century commercial block at Central and Main streets had even fewer signs of life. The Grand Theatre no longer showed movies. The imposing classical facade of the old state bank had broken windows and decaying architectural details. These historic buildings retain their potential to impress, and could be heritage assets in multiple ways. They need attention before it is too late.
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While life and commerce enlivened the railroad and highway corridor, the downtown had a shuttered, tired look. But pride was there too. The Harlem Centennial Park, established in 1987, featured an memorial to the thirteen airmen who lost their lives when Air Force cargo planes collided north of town in 1992. The dedication and commitment to raise the funds and build such an appropriate monument impresses–and for travelers like me, I had no idea that this terrible air accident took place, and was glad that Harlem understood its obligation to the airmen and to history to record the event, permanently, with the memorial. It was one of several surprises I encountered during my visit to Blaine County in 2013.