BREATHTAKING TO BEHOLD
Backcountry tour of sacred lands
Somewhere deep into the Blackfeet Reservation our guide, Alger Swingley, stops the Jeep on a wind-blasted bluff, grabs his Winchester revolver (“Blackfeet bearspray,” he quips), and motions us to the top of the knoll. “This scene hasn’t changed in thousands of years,” he says, pointing to one of the prettiest — and most sacred — mountain vistas in North America. Exploding high above the gone-gold aspens, Chief Mountain — a prominent fortress of chiselled rock and the first major mountain across the U.S. border — is breathtaking to behold. It’s a special place, a special sight. And it’s one of many remarkable places Alger, the owner of Blackfeet Outfitters, takes us to on our memorable backcountry Jeep tour of the reservation.
The Blackfeet Reservation (they are part of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Alberta) encompasses a pristine, 7,800 square kilometre swath of rolling grassland, pine-peppered foothills, and soaring mountains. It’s located within Glacier County and the reservation, which is the third largest in Montana and the 13th largest in the United States, is bigger than the state of Delaware. It borders Alberta to the north, Glacier National Park to the west, Lewis and Clark National Forest to the south, and the vast, wheatcovered plains of Toole County to the east.
Although traditional Blackfeet territory is much larger (extending all the way to Calgary and to the North Saskatchewan River), the current reservation boundaries were established by the Treaty of Fort Benton in 1855. There are about 15,000 people who live on the reservation and Browning, with a population of approximately 1,200 people, is the commercial hub.
Visitors to the Blackfeet Reservation are often passersby; tourists flocking to the heralded peaks and pristine lakes and valleys of Glacier National Park, which records over two million visitors each year. It’s there that attractions such as the Going-tothe- Sun Road (a jaw-dropping engineering marvel that meanders high on mountain slopes and summits at Logan Pass), Lake McDonald, Many Glacier, East Glacier, and hundreds of kilometres of awesome hiking trails beckon outdoor enthusiasts.
But more and more outdoor enthusiasts — and those just looking for an engaging, culturally-rich experience — are stopping on the Blackfeet Reservation for a little look-see. And those who do are rewarded.
Alger — thanks to his friendly nature, genuine warmth, and in-depth knowledge of the land, the history, and the ways of his people — is a great guide when it comes to escorting you to the sacred places of Blackfeet territory. His trips are much more than sightseeing adventures.
Thanks to the many trout-filled lakes and streams in Blackfeet country, guided fishing trips are a staple offering. And the bounty of those trips is legendary. The remote coulees and aspen groves, which are home to deer, elk, bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, cougar, and buffalo afford big game hunters an unparalleled experience. Would you like your freezer (or, more accurately, “freezers,”) stocked with hundreds of pounds of organic buffalo meat? Alger can make it happen.
“Our sacred land is blessed with an abundance of wildlife,” says Alger. “And we invite people from all over the world to come here and experience our land and our traditions.”
Interestingly, while thousands of Albertans visit Montana each year, Blackfeet Outfitters sees very few of them on their trips. “Most of our clients are Americans,” says Alger. “But, obviously, we have a strong connection to Alberta. Many people here have close family ties to people living on Blood, Piegan, Blackfoot, and Siksika lands. And it certainly would be great to have more Canadians, and Calgarians, stop by to taste life here.”
For our small group of media scribes from various locations in North America, “tasting life” on the Blackfeet Reservation was a literal experience. After a memorable Jeep tour that featured many of Alger’s “secret” hunting, fishing, and hiking spots — as well as some of the sacred ceremonial and kill sites — we stopped by his cabin for a specially prepared traditional Blackfeet meal. On the menu? Delicious fry bread, bannock, roasted corn, buffalo steak, hot buffalo soup, buffalo berry pie, and, my personal favourite, buffalo tongue, a delicacy that is revered around the world and considered sacred by the Blackfeet. (It has a delicate flavour, an amazing fine texture, and is packed with protein.)
Interestingly, the high demand for buffalo tongue played a significant role in the decimation of the massive bison herds that once roamed the Great Plains.
After the meal, which was blessed by a Blackfeet elder, we were treated to traditional singing and drumming by Mary Ellen Little Moustache, who also did much of the meal preparation. Mary Ellen is a Blackfoot speaker and an expert artisan and a teacher in her culture. Her performance was both memorable and mesmerizing.
Unquestionably, spending the day with Alger and Blackfeet Outfitters was a rich, eye-opening experience. Driving back to Calgary, with Chief Mountain piercing through the cold, sleetstreaked sky, I was forced to stop one last time to record the timeless scene. But the road home pulled me on. I couldn’t wait to see the faces of my boys when I told them I ate buffalo tongue.
IF YOU GO
For information on Blackfeet Outfitters or to arrange your own custom trip visit www.blackfeetoutfitters.com. To learn more about the Glacier Country Tourism region visit www. glaciermt.com.