Our Saviour's Lutheran Church serves the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. We have about 25 active members. The members are of different races. We are a member of the ELCA.

Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation provides a home for about 4,500 members of the Chippewa-Cree tribe. One story has it that the name "Rocky Boy" was derived from the name of a leader of a band of Chippewa Indians. It actually meant "Stone Child," but it was not translated correctly from Chippewa into English, and the name "Rocky Boy" evolved. The reservation is near the Canadian border, in northcentral Montana. It is graced by the Bear Paw Mountains, which provide dramatic contrast to the flat bottomland of the area.

Rocky Boy's residents who work on the reservation are employed by the schools, Indian Health Service, and tribal government. There are also ranching, wheat farming and post-pole production on the reservation. The tribe is actively working toward development of its natural resources to be able to provide more jobs and income for its people. Stone Child College is located in Rocky Boy's Agency. A two-year college, Stone Child offers associate's degrees in Arts and Sciences. There are future plans for a cultural center on the campus.

Points of interest on the reservation are:

• Stone Child College, Rocky Boy's Agency, MT
• Chief Rocky Boy's Gravesite
• Sweat Lodges

The Chippewa and Cree were among the last tribal groups to come into Montana. Both tribes originally lived in the Great Lakes region. Late in the nineteenth century, the Chippewa came from Turtle Mountain country in North Dakota. This was after the reservation system was in existence, and they felt they had been not treated fairly during treaty negotiations. The Cree are of Canadian descent and along with their allies were a major force on the Great Plains. Initially the tribe had a monopoly on guns and horses, which gave them a great advantage over the other tribes.

As with the other tribes, small pox devastated the Cree. The two groups refused to settle on a reservation and led a nomadic life. The Cree were deported to Canada but later returned to Montana. The tribes remained homeless and fell on hard times. Finally, in 1916 Rocky Boy's Reservation was established near Havre. The tribes today are inter-mixed and use the name "Chippewa-Cree."

For more information about the Rocky Boy's Reservation contact:

Chippewa Cree Wellness Center

Clinic

Tribal Office

Mural outside the Tribal Office

Sundance Lodges

Sybil Sangrey Colliflower Memorial Arena

Rodeo Grounds Entrance

Senior Citizens' Center

Casino

Early Headstart