"Sometimes My People Get Mad When the Blackfeet Kill Us"

The documents collected in this book provide a window into a challenging and dangerous period in the history of the Salish and Pend d’Oreille Indians of western Montana. Although all of these sources were written or recorded by white people, used carefully, the documents provide important information about the experiences of the tribes. Between 1845 and 1874, the Salish and Pend d’Oreilles faced continued attacks, property loss, and death from the Plains Indian tribes east of the Continental Divide. The population losses the western tribes suffered nearly exterminated them as independent tribal bodies. The Salish and Pend d’Oreilles allied with and adopted warriors from other western tribes to replace some of their war losses. They also reached out for spiritual power from the Christian missionaries who established Saint Mary’s and Saint Ignatius missions. Another coping strategy was their alliance with the white men who invaded the Northern Rocky Mountains and fought the same Plains tribes. During this era, the Salish and Pend d’Oreilles also expanded their farms and horse and cattle herds to compensate for the declining plains buffalo herds.  

"Much tribal, reservation, and Montana history can be learned from these documents, and they will easily surpass expectations for historical researchers. In these times of increasing ancestral land acknowledgements, with growing organizational and personal interest in tribal histories, these collections provide readers with engaging details about Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai Indians that would have remained difficult to access in their archival forms. The volumes provide this easy access to primary resources, and anyone with an interest in understanding Montana, the land, and its people more personally will benefit from this series."—Fred Noel, Tribal College Journal

Robert Bigart is librarian emeritus at the Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana. Joseph McDonald is president emeritus at the Salish Kootenai College.