Jefferson County Museum
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • HOURS
    • Map
    • Staff & Board
    • Credits >
      • Old Red Schoolhouse Photo
      • MINING IMAGES
      • Northwest Magazine
    • Search
  • Exhibits
    • Recreation
    • Vintage Wedding Gowns & Early Marriages >
      • Gowns & Photos-more
      • Early Jeffco Marriages
    • Hope in Hard Times
    • Upcoming Exhibits
    • Past Exhibits >
      • Railroads
      • Looking Back at Glacier
      • Native Peoples of Montana
      • Ranching
      • Homestead Fever
  • Events
    • 2024 Events
    • Past Events
    • More Jeffco Brands
  • Collection
    • Inventory
    • Basin & Comet
    • Boulder & Elkhorn
    • Clancy, Alhambra & MT City
    • Jeff City, Corbin & Wickes
    • Whitehall
  • Partners
    • ORSH Foundation Flyer
  • New Page

NATIVE PEOPLES of Montana

12,000 years before the earliest white settlers, Jefferson County was already home to Paleo-Indians, the first peoples that entered the Americas. 

Later, more than 12 distinctive nations of Native Americans roamed Montana.
Since the Judith River treaty of 1855, the area of Jefferson County became common hunting ground. As such, our exhibit pays tribute to each of these distinct nations that call Montana home, as well as a few who were pushed out by either white settlers or by warfare with other tribes.

We also feature information about the MacHaffie Site, one of Montana's most significant archaeological sites, located near Montana City.

More Information
Montana Indians: Their History and Location. Contains in-depth historical and cultural overviews written   by members of the tribes themselves.

A more detailed timeline of Indian history, sorted by tribe.

Montana Before History by Douglass MacDonald. Purchase a copy here, or reserve a copy from your local library

Montana Indian Education For All resources from the Montana Office of Public Instruction 
​

Picture

Tribal territory map.

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • HOURS
    • Map
    • Staff & Board
    • Credits >
      • Old Red Schoolhouse Photo
      • MINING IMAGES
      • Northwest Magazine
    • Search
  • Exhibits
    • Recreation
    • Vintage Wedding Gowns & Early Marriages >
      • Gowns & Photos-more
      • Early Jeffco Marriages
    • Hope in Hard Times
    • Upcoming Exhibits
    • Past Exhibits >
      • Railroads
      • Looking Back at Glacier
      • Native Peoples of Montana
      • Ranching
      • Homestead Fever
  • Events
    • 2024 Events
    • Past Events
    • More Jeffco Brands
  • Collection
    • Inventory
    • Basin & Comet
    • Boulder & Elkhorn
    • Clancy, Alhambra & MT City
    • Jeff City, Corbin & Wickes
    • Whitehall
  • Partners
    • ORSH Foundation Flyer
  • New Page