Montana

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Montana and include the Crow, the Cheyenne, the Blackfeet, Assiniboine, Gros Ventres, Kootenai and Salish Native Americans.

The discovery of copper and gold in the region lead to the Montana being claimed by the United States but even after this the Native American traditions remained strong. Changes to US law lead to massive land grabs and expansion into Montana and the region is infamous as the place the Native Americans made their last efforts to keep their land. Near the modern day town of Hardin Colonel George Armstrong Custer made his famous last stand while Montana was also the site of many of the Nez Peace Wars.

Cattle ranching has since become central to Montana’s more recent history and the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge Valley preserves the ranch lifestyle of the 19th century and is owned and operated by the National Park Service.