TeachersFirst Collection: Montana's Native American Tribes
Montana is home to 8 federally recognized Tribal Nations comprising 12 tribes. Each with its own history, language, and living culture, spread across seven reservations and the state's landless Little Shell Chippewa Tribe. From the Blackfeet in the north to the Crow and Northern Cheyenne in the south, and the diverse nations sharing the Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, and Rocky Boy's reservations, these communities continue to shape Montana's identity today. This collection is designed to help educators bring that rich diversity into the classroom — moving beyond generalizations to explore the distinct histories, sovereignty, traditions, and contemporary lives of each tribal nation, with an emphasis on accuracy, respect, and the voices of Native peoples themselves.
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Museum of the Plains Indian - U.S. Department of the Interior
Grades
4 to 12
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Explore the art and material culture of Northern Plains Tribal peoples through the official Museum of the Plains Indian website. Founded in 1941 and located in Browning, Montana, the...more
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Explore the art and material culture of Northern Plains Tribal peoples through the official Museum of the Plains Indian website. Founded in 1941 and located in Browning, Montana, the museum features historic clothing, horse gear, weapons, household implements, baby carriers, toys, and other works associated with peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Sioux, Assiniboine, Arapaho, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Flathead, Chippewa, and Cree. The site also links to current and recent exhibitions, including contemporary American Indian art and craft exhibitions that highlight living artists rather than presenting Native cultures only in the past. Additional museum pages provide location, hours, admission information, virtual exhibitions, and collection-related resources.
tag(s): artists (106), montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Ask students to compare works or traditions connected with two Northern Plains Tribal peoples and organize similarities and differences using the Venn Diagram Creator by Canva, reviewed here. Assign students to build a short timeline showing changes in Plains Indian art, material culture, or museum interpretation using the Timeline Tool by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, incorporating both historic collection objects and contemporary exhibitions. Have students write a museum label for a selected object or artwork that includes an accurate description, cultural context, and source attribution, then peer-review labels for respectful language, specificity, and avoidance of generalizations.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Montana History in 9 Easy Lessons - Montana Historical Society
Grades
9 to 12
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Get a broad overview of roughly 12,000 years of Montana history through this collection of nine recorded lectures presented by Montana Historical Society staff and other subject-matter...more
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Get a broad overview of roughly 12,000 years of Montana history through this collection of nine recorded lectures presented by Montana Historical Society staff and other subject-matter experts. Topics include pre-contact archaeology, early contact and the effects of horses, disease, and European trade goods, the gold rush and creation of Montana Territory, industrialization, tribal nations during the early reservation and assimilation era, homesteading, the Cold War, political changes from the late 1960s through the 1990s, and tribal sovereignty during the self-determination period. Each section introduces the topic, provides background about the speaker, and links to a recorded lecture. Educators can watch the presentations and complete associated quizzes to earn OPI Renewal Units. If your district blocks YouTube, you may not be able to view the videos.
tag(s): cold war (40), gold rush (20), montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Have students analyze the lecture on Montana's tribal nations during the early reservation years alongside the lecture on tribal sovereignty in the self-determination period, then write an evidence-based response explaining how federal policy and tribal sovereignty changed over time. Ask students to work in pairs to compare the Pre-Contact Montana and Early Contact Period lectures, then organize evidence about continuity and change using the Venn Diagram Creator by Canva, reviewed here. Have students watch an assigned lecture and create a one-page set of notes identifying the central claim, three important details, and one question they still have about the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native Land Digital - Native Land Digita
Grades
4 to 12
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Begin a place-based inquiry by searching Native Land Digital's interactive maps of Indigenous territories, treaties, languages, and place names around the world. Map layers overlap...more
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Begin a place-based inquiry by searching Native Land Digital's interactive maps of Indigenous territories, treaties, languages, and place names around the world. Map layers overlap intentionally, helping users consider Indigenous relationships with Land and Waters beyond fixed colonial borders. Nation, treaty, and language entries may include sources and links for further investigation. In contrast, additional resources include a 2025 Teacher's Guide, a land and waters acknowledgment guide, open map data, and an API. Teachers should present the map as a starting point rather than a final authority because Native Land Digital states that its maps are living educational resources, are still being refined, and do not represent official or legal boundaries. Students should verify findings through Indigenous nations and community-based sources whenever possible.
tag(s): cultures (299), evaluating sources (56), map skills (66), montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Ask pairs to compare the Native Land map with a conventional political map and organize differences in borders, labels, overlap, and perspective using the Interactive 2 Circle Venn Diagram by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here. Have small groups investigate Indigenous place names in a selected region and build a map-based story with StoryMap JS, reviewed here. Assign students to compare several overlapping territorial or language layers and create a presentation with Canva for Education, reviewed here.
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Plains Indian Ledger Drawing - Plains Indian Ledger Art Digital Project
Grades
5 to 12
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Discover a site dedicated to the celebration of the Plains Indians' "Ledger" drawings of the 19th century. After clicking on a specific ledger, you can zoom in, rotate, and save ...more
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Discover a site dedicated to the celebration of the Plains Indians' "Ledger" drawings of the 19th century. After clicking on a specific ledger, you can zoom in, rotate, and save the image. Additionally, the right side lists the Provenance, Document Info, Custodian, and Artist. Create a free account to view the research features and research tools.
tag(s): art history (110), montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
As students explore each of the drawings, they can share their noticings and wonderings on a virtual bulletin board such as Stormboard, reviewed here. Have students participate in a virtual interview with a historian who is familiar with Native American art. Ask pairs to compare two ledger drawings from different artists, time periods, or Native Nations and organize visual evidence with Venn Diagram Creator by Canva, reviewed here.
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Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12
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View information about Native Americans, including primary source sets, historical photographs, and classroom guides. Topics include Native American Boarding Schools, Exploring the...more
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View information about Native Americans, including primary source sets, historical photographs, and classroom guides. Topics include Native American Boarding Schools, Exploring the Stories Behind Native American Boarding Schools, and Drake's West Indian Voyage, 1588 to 1589. Each includes a teacher's guide with primary sources.
tag(s): montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Students can use Kiddle, reviewed here, to continue researching Native Americans who attended boarding school. If possible, have students virtually interview students who also attended boarding school. Students can present their lesson understanding by creating a presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Indians in Children's Literature - Dr. Debbie Reese and Dr. Jean Mendoza
Grades
K to 12
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This blog highlights Native American writers and illustrators. Each blog post highlights how there has been a change in the number of Native American writers who have written books....more
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This blog highlights Native American writers and illustrators. Each blog post highlights how there has been a change in the number of Native American writers who have written books. A list of books is also featured, including Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Maillard, We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, and Keepunumuk: Weeachumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Brown.
tag(s): montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Teachers can share the book list with parents when they are teaching about Native Americans. Students can read books from the site's list and share their favorite. After finishing a book, students can complete a story element graphic organizer using Canva Infographic Creator, < a href="/single.cfm?id=17570">reviewed here.
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Tribes of Montana Intro - Teacher Learning Hub
Grades
3 to 6
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Tribes of Montana Intro is a five-minute video that introduces students to the names and locations of Montana's tribal nations. The video explains the origins of tribal names,...more
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Tribes of Montana Intro is a five-minute video that introduces students to the names and locations of Montana's tribal nations. The video explains the origins of tribal names, including the differences between the names tribes use for themselves and names given to them by Europeans or other tribes. Students also learn where each tribe is located throughout Montana.
tag(s): montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Students can compare and contrast the different tribe names using the 2 and 3 Circle Interactive Venn Diagrams by Class Tools, reviewed here. Students can use Adobe Podcast, reviewed here to create a podcast sharing the information that they learned from this video about tribes in Montana. Have students virtually visit Montana using Google Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Montana: Stories of the Land, Chapter 3 - Montana Historical Society
Grades
7 to 8
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Support a study of early Montana history and tribal perspectives with this teacher resource page for Chapter 3 of Montana: Stories of the Land. The page supplements the chapter "From...more
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Support a study of early Montana history and tribal perspectives with this teacher resource page for Chapter 3 of Montana: Stories of the Land. The page supplements the chapter "From Dog Days to Horse Warriors" with ready-to-use teaching supports, including educational trunks, a printable "Takeaway" summarizing strategy, recommended websites and lesson plans, videos, possible field trips, chapter tests and answer keys, and standards-alignment information. A particularly useful teacher note addresses disagreements among tribal cultural experts and historians over when different tribes arrived in Montana and encourages discussion of how historical knowledge is constructed. Resources also connect students with the Seven Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians and tribal perspectives on sovereignty, cultural continuity, identity, and history. The page includes several YouTube videos. If your district blocks YouTube, you may not be able to view the videos.
tag(s): montana (34), native americans (162), primary sources (165)
In the Classroom
Have students read an assigned section of Chapter 3, complete the site's "Takeaway" activity by distilling the reading to its most important idea, then compare summaries with a partner and revise for accuracy and concision. Ask students to organize significant developments related to horses, intertribal exchange, and changing lifeways into a chronological sequence using the Timeline Tool by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, then write a short explanation of which change had the greatest impact. Extend learning by asking students to examine one of the Seven Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians and post a student-friendly explanation plus one supporting example from Chapter 3 to Padlet, reviewed here for a collaborative class reference board.
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Indian Education - Montana Office of Public Instruction
Grades
K to 12
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Explore a central collection of Montana resources supporting Indian Education for All, American Indian student achievement, tribal relations, and Native language and culture. The Montana...more
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Explore a central collection of Montana resources supporting Indian Education for All, American Indian student achievement, tribal relations, and Native language and culture. The Montana Office of Public Instruction explains the state's constitutional commitment to recognizing and preserving the distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians. It provides pathways to curriculum materials, professional learning, tribal resources, language preservation initiatives, and student-support information. The linked Indian Education for All collection includes classroom lessons and resources in art, health, language arts, mathematics, music, science, and social studies, organized by grade level and Montana tribal nation. Educators can also find the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians, implementation guides, tribal history resources, recorded webinars, professional-development opportunities, and links to additional Indigenous education organizations and materials. The page also links to a YouTube video titled We Are One. If your district blocks YouTube, you may not be able to view the video.
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tag(s): montana (34), native americans (162)
In the Classroom
Students can locate Montana reservations and tribal communities while studying the geographic resources on the site, then build an annotated map with Google My Maps, reviewed here that connects locations with evidence from OPI or tribal sources. Assign students to explore one contemporary topic from the OPI resources, then write a short, evidence-based response that connects present-day issues to historical or governmental context, rather than treating American Indian cultures only as topics of the past.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians - Montana Office of Public Instruction
Grades
K to 12
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Build accurate background knowledge about Montana's tribal nations with this foundational Indian Education for All resource from the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Originally...more
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Build accurate background knowledge about Montana's tribal nations with this foundational Indian Education for All resource from the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Originally developed through discussions with American Indian educators from Montana tribes and most recently revised in 2024, the 32-page PDF organizes essential information around seven understandings. Topics include the diversity of Montana's twelve sovereign tribes, individual American Indian identity, traditional beliefs and oral histories, reservations and treaties, federal Indian policy, differing historical perspectives, and tribal sovereignty. Each Essential Understanding is expanded with key concepts and background information that helps educators move beyond generalizations and place historical issues in contemporary context. The document also provides information about Montana's tribal nations and reservations and concludes with an appendix identifying tribal groups, languages, membership information, and reservation establishment data. The introduction emphasizes that there is no generic American Indian and that tribally specific identification is the best approach whenever possible.
tag(s): diversity (58), identity (45), montana (34), native americans (162), oral history (15)
In the Classroom
Have students work in small groups to examine one of the seven Essential Understandings, identify its key ideas, and teach those ideas to classmates using evidence from the document. Ask students to compare two Montana tribal nations described in the resource, noting differences in language, history, government, location, and contemporary community information, using the Venn Diagram Creator by Canva, reviewed here. Extend learning by asking students to trace the federal policy periods described in Essential Understanding 5 and organize major changes from treaty-making and removal through self-determination with the Timeline Tool by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here.
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This Photo Isn't What It Looks Like - PBS
Grades
6 to 12
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The website "This Photo Isn't What It Looks Like" is part of the podcast series "The Bigger Picture" from Thirteen.org, which examines the hidden stories behind iconic photos. This...more
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The website "This Photo Isn't What It Looks Like" is part of the podcast series "The Bigger Picture" from Thirteen.org, which examines the hidden stories behind iconic photos. This episode focuses on a photo of ethnographer Frances Densmore and Piegan Blackfeet tribe leader Mountain Chief. Through podcasts and storytelling, it encourages students to think critically about the meaning behind images and how they shape our understanding of history. It's a powerful resource for teaching media literacy and sparking thoughtful classroom discussions.
tag(s): media literacy (133), native americans (162), photography (136)
In the Classroom
Show the photo of Frances Densmore and Mountain Chief. Discuss the assumption that the picture represents a "dying culture." Then ask students to write captions for the photo that reflect the spirit of Native American culture today. Assign students to research modern Blackfeet cultural practices using the video and additional sources. Create a class presentation showcasing art, music, language revitalization, or other aspects of Blackfeet life today. They can use Visme, reviewed here or Google Slides, reviewed here to present their findings. Students can create visual or written works inspired by what they learned about Mountain Chief and contemporary Blackfeet culture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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