Near Ronan in Lake County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Mission Mountain Wilderness

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2020

1. The Mission Mountain Wilderness Marker

Inscription. The mountains rising to the east lie in the Mission Mountain Wilderness and the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness. The range is more than a natural wonder, it is the first place in America where an Indian nation has designated tribal lands as a wilderness preserve. The crest of the range forms the eastern boundary of the Flathead Reservation. On the east side 73,877 acres are managed by the Flathead National Forest; on this side 89,500 acres are under the purview of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai (Flathead) Tribes. Both wildernesses are managed cooperatively and are open to everyone, though differenced in management styles reflect tribal tees and traditions on the west side.
A few tribal elders can still trace the routes of old hunting trails through the Missions. Hunters used them to cross to the eastern Montana plains to hunt buffalo. The mountains hold sacred sites where tribal members go alone to fast and seek spiritual guidance for their lives. Other spots are traditional summer camps where families pick berries, gather medicinal herbs, plants, roots and cut tipi poles.
Clarence Woodcock of the Flathead

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Cultural Committee expressed the tribes' deep-rooted spiritual and cultural ties to the mountains: "They are lands where our people walked and lived. Lands and landmarks carved into the minds of our ancestors through Coyote stories and actual experiences. Lands, landmarks, trees, mountain tops, crevices that we should look up to with respect."

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.

Location. 47° 29.14′ N, 114° 5.765′ W. Marker is near Ronan, Montana, in Lake County. It is on U.S. 93 at milepost 43 near Beaverhead Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ronan MT 59864, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Flathead Nation,

in Western Montana,

and in Glacier Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

Mission Mountains and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2020

2. Mission Mountains and Marker

it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Don E. Olsson House and Garage (approx. 2.7 miles away); Ronan United Methodist Church (approx. 2.9 miles away); Fort Connah (approx. 5.3 miles away); St. Joseph's Catholic Church of D'Aste (approx. 8.4 miles away); The National Bison Range (approx. 11.1 miles away); St Ignatius Mission (approx. 11.8 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on November 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 399 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 8, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.