Virginia City Treaty Day Gathering participants on the tour of Ennis Lake on Saturday, July 16.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
VIRGINIA CITY, Mont. — After a two-year break, the Virginia City Treaty Day Gathering returned on July 15 and 16 giving the opportunity to the Shoshone-Bannock people to return to the homelands of the place the Agai Deka people and Tukudeka once migrated.
Jeanette Wolfley, tribal attorney, gave a historical presentation on Friday and explained the area was once used for hunting, fishing and gathering and following the buffalo herd in the area.
In the 1860s when the United States started entering into the different treaties with the different Shoshone and Bannock Bands they sought a treaty. On July 3, 1868 the United States entered into the Fort Bridget Treaty with Eastern Shoshone Chief Washakie and the Bannocks led by Chief Tahgee.
Afterwards, treaty makers moved north and were trying to gain a treaty with different tribes in the area but particularly Chief Tendoy’s band, who held an expansive area. They signed the Virginia City Treaty on September 24, 1868. The treaty was never ratified by the United States Senate.
Sho-Ban tribal elders — Farrell Wildcat (left) gave a prayer song and Darrell Shay gave the morning
prayer on Saturday.
In most treaties the United States is very clear about what land the tribes owned, and in the treaty signed with Chief Tendoy in 1868 and other representatives it didn’t specify. It said the land or vast area that the tribe owned at that time, so it was unclear as what area the tribes were actually giving up. Wolfley said because Tendoy’s band kept staying in this area one of the things the United States wanted to do was to clarify what lands the tribes actually owned and were supposedly giving up.
On January 3, 1870 there was another cession agreement signed that sets out the actual land area in detail, which included this southwestern Montana area as well as parts of what is Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
In 1875 President Grant issued an executive order to establish the Lemhi Reservation in central Idaho. The tribal people continued to hunt and fish in the southwestern part of Montana into Yellowstone. Until they were ordered to be removed to Fort Hall in 1905. Chief Tendoy never left the area along with his ally WarJack, who was Bannock, and any tribal people that stayed.
In the 1940s a claims commission established by congress, allowed Indian Tribes to seek compensation for claims to land. There were many claims by the Shoshone bands in Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada and so forth, as well as other tribes. However, nobody made claims to the Virginia City area.
Wolfley said there was never any litigation in regards to who owns this land. No one was ever compensated either for the taking of the land.
“When the Tribes filed a claim against the United States in 2012 there were a number of mismanagement claims that were made by the Tribe with regards to agricultural leases and a whole bunch of other mismanagement of lands that occurred at Fort Hall. As part of that settlement the United States sought to resolve all potential future claims to possibly be against the United States. One of the claims brought up was the southwestern Montana claim in this area here. The Tribe refused to waive that claim,” Wolfley explained.
Tribal attorney Jeanette Wolfley gives a historical presentation on the land cession agreement
of 1870.
The Tribe had three options, they could litigate, file a case in the federal court system; they could seek an administrative remedy; or they could seek legislation remedies before congress.
The Tribe established rather than to file litigation they would embark on working with federal agencies to try to resolve some of the land issues. They identified three primary areas in southwestern Montana, including the central Valley area around Dillon, Ennis Lake area, and Madison Forest area.
If the administrative remedy doesn’t work the Tribe wants to pursue federal legislation to secure a large land base area for the Tribes, which would mean working relationships with state and local governments, as well as tribes and environmental and conservation groups, they would also need to secure senators and representatives to sponsor the bill. It would also include meetings with federal agencies, post field trips and to actually draft legislation.
The Fort Hall Business Council formed a committee to work on this, which includes Wolfley; Darrell Shay, chair; Brenda Honena; Leo Ariwite and LeeJuan Tyler. Wolfley said they meet with federal agencies and seek field trips to find areas the Tribes may be interested in . They’ve met with Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton and coordinated with the Language and Cultural Preservation Department.
Some of the projects the council is interested in are land transfers with the federal agencies, meaning the transfer of lands they’re going to dispose of or have surplus land. They would transfer that land to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or perhaps directly to the Tribes, so it would become tribal land. On that land the tribe would like to establish cultural centers, education centers, places for meeting rooms, housing, interpretive centers or museums, campgrounds, comanagement agreements, identifying trails in particular areas, as well as establish interpretive signs.
Wolfley directed the audience to break into groups to discuss their thoughts on what they’d like to see done with the area on some of the projects.
Participants joined in group discussions after the historical presentation.
Shannon Gilbert and Amanda James were introduced, they are from the Bureau of Land Management Office in Dillon and would lead field trips to Beaverhead Rock site and Ennis Lake Park on Saturday morning after breakfast.
At the morning prayer on Saturday, tribal elder Darrell Shay said the Virginia City area was important to the people and they have a feeling for the land, which is why they return.
“We’re visiting our ancestral homelands, all of us that are descendants of the Agai Deka people. They’re the ones that came here. They lived in these valleys, they lived on the plains, they lived on the other side of the mountains over there, and Ennis side too. They did all kinds of things here,” he said.
He offered the prayer with the assistance of Farrell Wildcat, who sang a prayer song and spoke in Shoshone encouraging the people to carry on the prayers and come back to the area because it’s important.
After T-shirts were handed out by Jeanette Wolfley a walk to City Park took place where a continental breakfast was served.
The tour to Ennis Lake was to view the piece of BLM land on the southeast corner of the lake, which was about 20 acres. Back in 2014 there was discussion with the Sho-Ban Tribes about making a gazebo there and interpretive panels. Since that time it hasn’t happened yet but is still a possibility.
The tour to Beaverhead Rock featured a short hike with a pictograph at the base of it. It’s also an area that has a beautiful view of the land.
After returning, a feast of stew and frybread was enjoyed by all.
Nolan Brown, Language & Culture Preservation Department’s original territories historical researcher, gave a presentation at the community center. Brown said any work he does involving interpretation with the Tribes he makes sure the tribal staff sees it, along with community, then he takes it to the LCPD committee and finally to the Fort Hall Business Council for them to approve. He said coming from the Tribes voice helps create the best possible signs and information.
Youth did a make and take activity, some made a necklace and others worked on a cedar pouch. A social powwow concluded the event.