Letter to the Editor of the Glacier Reporter by Robert C. Juneau

To the Editor: 
I was reading a book recently called Montana Before History 11,000 years of 
Hunter Gatherers in the Rockies and Plains by University of Montana Anthropology Professor Douglas H. MacDonald and on page 155 it says," Ethnographic, linguistic, and archaeological data support Blackfeet presence in northwestern Montana for at least 2,000 years. Blackfeet origin stories point to an eastern origin within the last 2,000 years, and the Blackfeet language is similar to Algonquian dialects found in the northern Midwest. Archaeological sites may indicate even longer-term residence in northwest Montana and nearby areas, possibly extending back 3,000 years or more. For example, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in Southern Alberta shows a sequence of occupations beginning in the Archaic period and continuing well into the Late Prehistoric period. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the earliest Archaic occupations are associated with some other tribe, such as the ancestral Salish or Kootenai, and that the Blackfeet arrived during the Late Prehistoric period." The Blackfeet have a rich and ancient History on the ground where they currently reside which dates back to the rise of the Roman Empire. The myth about our History and culture is that it is static and unchanging. I learned in the Anthropology classes that I took at the University of Montana that all cultures are dynamic and always changing in order to survive. The Blackfeet began hunting Buffalo in large groups on foot and using dogs with travois to transport their shelter and belongings. Then the horse arrived in America and the Blackfeet adopted both the horse and the rifle for hunting, self-defense, and warfare. They studied their environment discovering new plants for medicine and using the stars for navigation at night. Then when the Blackfeet could no longer live off hunting the Buffalo they had to adapt again to life under a dominant Anglo-American culture by becoming Farmers and Ranchers. Becoming so good at Ranching Businessmen came all the way from Chicago, Illinois to buy the Blackfeets' beef. Very few indigenous peoples in the History of the world have accomplished that kind of a transition from a Native culture to survival and adaptation in the face of a different economy and culture. The Blackfeet Language has also changed to include things that did not exist prior to the beginning of the Reservation like radio and television. The Blackfeet have always adopted the best technology and ways of living while retaining a core culture so why not adopt a Enrollment Criteria that works the best for all of the people? A Enrollment Criteria that will include all of the Blackfeet Descendants and provide a means for tribal members to marry whoever they want Native or Non-Native and still be able to get their children enrolled. Blood Quantum does not exist and will not work for our people as a Enrollment Criteria. I believe signing the B.E.A.R petition is the way to do this and I encourage all Blackfeet Enrolled Members to sign it. There is a Blackfeet Enrollment Amendment Reform (B.E.A.R) page on Facebook for those who need to contact us.