Séliš, Ksanka, Ql̓ispe̓ (Known in English as: Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreille)
The Flathead Indian Reservation is home to an estimated 65% of the total Confederated Salish and Kootenai population (approximately 7,753 enrolled members today). The reservation is located in northwestern Montana, between Missoula and Kalispell (headquartered in Pablo), and spans 1.3 million acres across four counties: Missoula, Lake, Flathead, and Sanders. To the west, the reservation encompasses the communities of Dixon, Hot Springs, Elmo, and the Mission Mountains Wilderness Area—the first wilderness area in the nation to be designated by a tribe. It also includes the entire Mission Valley and the lower Flathead River—nearly to the confluence of the Clark Fork River in Missoula—and stretches north to the southern half of Flathead Lake in Polson.
For thousands of years, several Native American tribes called this land home and relied primarily on hunting and gathering to sustain their smaller bands. But when fur traders, trappers, missionaries, and settlers made their way out west in the 1800s, tribes spent decades resisting pressure from the federal government, large businesses and new booming industries to abandon their territories, and their fundamental ways of life, culture, and spirituality. In 1891, people of the Bitterroot Salish were forcefully removed and relocated to the Flathead Indian Reservation, a single area to be shared with two other tribes: the Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille. Despite being promised and legally entitled to the swath of reservation land intended only for tribal members, their land was sold, privatized, and allotted to non-native settlers in the early 1900s.
Today, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes continue the fight to preserve the land they’ve always called home.. Their government is recognized nationally as leaders of an innovative, self-governed community. As noted by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Division of Indian Education: Montana Indians Their History and Location:
“To care for and manage their vast and spectacular lands and waters, the CSKT [Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes] have developed one of the most capable and accomplished natural resource departments of any local government in the nation, founded on the cultural value of respect expressed by the two culture committees (Selis Qlispe Culture Committee and Kootenai Culture Committee). A quote from the Salish-Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee:
‘The earth is our historian; it is made of our ancestor’s bones. It provides us with nourishment, medicine, and comfort. It is our source of our independence; it is our Mother. We do not dominate Her, but harmonize with Her.’”
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ environment and natural resource departments, along with their visitor education programs, work to inform the public of the tribes’ history and cultures, about the land they are stewards of, and ways tribal members and non-members alike can respect the space while enjoying Montana’s beauty, responsibly and peacefully. For a more thorough overview about the history of the tribes, visit their website: www.csktribes.org.
Along with land and resource preservation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes emphasize the importance of protecting their heritage and culture. From the CSKT website:
“The spirit and direction of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation is founded upon and reflected in its cultural heritage.
“The cultural foundation of the tribes should be preserved as a living part of our community life and development in order to give a sense of orientation to the Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai people.
“Cultural resources of the tribes are being lost, substantially altered or destroyed, with increasing frequency. It is the policy of the Tribal Preservation Department to protect cultural resources by identifying, evaluating, and protecting cultural, historic and archaeological resources and by regulating undertakings upon protected lands when they may result in changes in the character or use of such cultural resources.”
Permits are required for non-members to participate in recreational activities on Confederated Salish and Kootenai lands and must be carried at all times when recreating on the reservation.
Visit the CSKT Natural Resource Department website for information about visitor education programs and more.
Find recreation applications, permit prices, and regulations here.
*Permits are not needed to swim, boat, or recreate in Flathead Lake (except when fishing or hunting).
To obtain a first-time permit, purchases must be made in-person at a vendor in order to register. After the initial registration, permits may be purchased online at https://ols.fwp.mt.gov/. Find vendor locations and more information on the CSKT’s website.
Keep in mind that tribal land is private land but CSKT has open areas for the general public to recreate. Please inform yourself about which areas are closed to the general public and respect the open areas by following the rules outlined on the recreation permits.
Visit the websites to find more info about these events, as well as scheduling details and etiquette during tribal festivities.
These should be viewed as general guidelines. Be sure to visit the CSKT website or social media channels to find specific rules and information for each unique celebration.
Nkwusm – Salish Language School, nkwusm.com
Three Chiefs Culture Center, threechiefs.org
Salish Kootenai College, skc.edu
The Char-Koosta News, charkoosta.com
Annual Arlee Celebration, arleepowwow.com
Salish Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee, salishaudio.org
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Phone: 406-675-2700
Fax: 406-275-2806
Email: info@cskt.org
