Federal reservation Chippewa-Cree Chouteau and Hill counties, Montana

LOCATION AND LAND STATUS

Located in north-central Montana, the Rocky Boy's Reservation consists of 120,000 acres which range from rolling high-plains grasslands to the sub-alpine environment of the Bear Paw Mountains. The reservation lies 50 miles south of the Canadian border near the boundary separating the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The nearest town is Havre, 26 miles to the north. The nearest urban center is Greatfalls, which has a population of 57,000 and is located 100 miles to the southwest of the reservation.

The reservation was established in April of 1916, when Congress set aside 56,035 acres for the Chippewa and Cree Bands of Chief Rocky Boy. In 1947 the reservation was expanded by 45,523 acres, bringing it to nearly its current size. None of the land has been allotted, though some individual assignments have been made.

CLIMATE

The climate at Box Elder, a town on the western fringe of the reservation, is similar to that of Havre. In January the average maximum temperature is approximately 24 degrees. In July the average maximum temperature is around 85 degrees. In general, temperatures in the Bear Paw