Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-09-27
3 INDIAN CAVES
NEAR ZORTMAN
ARE OF INTEREST
SIGN WRITING ON WALLS WAS
DISCOVERED 81 YEARS
AGO BY RANGER

ago that not even a legend Of their
J history remains among the early white
and Indian settlers, two of them hav-
ing sign writing on the walls and with
several rooms, were discovered near
zortman 81 years ago.
4 Much discussion has arisen as n
whether northern tribes of Indians
we're in the habit of decorating the
caves and cliffs with sign writing or
whether this was the work of a wan
dering southern tribe An Assinniboiue
Indian identified the writing as the
| work of the Blackfeet tribe, but re-
fuses to translate 1t because he saws
it is bad medicine" and the work Of
the Great Spirit" A ranger wrote
the following account:
Not to be outdone by the Dry Wolf
and Tenderfeet districts, the little
Rockies announces the discovery Of IN
dian caves within its boundaries. There
are three of these caves along the
southern boundary, one of them about
quarters of a mile west of Grouse
gulch and two about one-quarter Of a
mile east of that point. The cliffs are
almost perpendicular and rise to a
height of about 200 feet. Two of the
caves are easy to enter, the other hay
ing the entrance 30 feet from the
base OF the cliff, must be reached by
ropes or a ladder.
During the summer of 1920 while |
surveying in that vicinity I noticed the
most westerly cave entrance, and
thought 1t only a seam In the rock. as /
1t Is rather long and narrow and faces
toward spur of rock and away from
the south, but upon going up to 1t I
discovered an outer chamber in which
large fires had evidently been burned.
In digging in the ashes many bones
Of buffalo and other animals were
found. This outer chamber is enclosed
on three sides and affords q very fine
view Of the surrounding country for
many miles.
Find Inner Cave
"a rather narrow opening from this
chamber leads to the inner cave which
Is circular in form and about 30 feet
IN diameter. 1t is probably 100 feet
high, however, and the floor is six or
eight feet lower than the floor Of the
entrance. The remains of a ladder ,
we're found here, evidently used at one
Tine to reach the floor of the inner
ave.
"On the walls and roof of the outer
chamber and on the walls of the pas {
'ageway between the two chambers /
ire found many strange drawings and ]
characters in some kind of red paint c
iome of which are very plain and dis t
met" 7
One of the other caves was found
% have signs painted in it while the Y
)ther had none. Neither the white O
Tor Indian settlers had any recollection
If having heard Of the existence of a
he caves. One Indian, The Boy, a a
member of the Assinniboine tribe, re- G.
rendered hearing Of legends handed a
lown for generations of war between 81
lis tribe and the Blackfeet for pos d
eSsion Of the hunting grounds south "
t the Little Rockies. 7
AS a result of the Indian war the d
'lackfeet, who had at one time claimed o
he sole right to the hunting grounds u
here, were driven west into the Big II
,ockieS. te
According to The Boy, a small band v
Blackfeet Indians once lived In these
ayes, where they could spy upon AS =.
nniboine hunting parties. If the par - -
les were not too large the Blackfeet -
Tooped down upon them, killing the o
raves and stealing their horses and a
lpplies. The fortress caves were fl ~.
ally stormed by the Assinniboines and "
le Blackfeet, who escaped from the - =
attic, fled west.
The Boy was reluctant to talk about +.
he signs for he said that they were o os
bad medicine" and that bad luck =.
ould follow him II he talked too much y, =.
he signs, he said, were made not by ~ =.
lie Indians but by the Great Spirit" ~ -,
I'd only the medicine men could prop ~ -,
ly read them. 80 -,
When any undertaking was consid- "a
ed, he said, the medicine man retired !,
ON the tribe and hunted for spirit ~ ~
gins. When they were found they ~ =.
ere interpreted and the tribe in ~
rmed as to whether or not the un- - ssS
'rtaking would be successful. ~
He identified the signs as Blaclfeet ~
,cause the drawing Of a turtle was ~
led, sign which he said was never - -
jed by the Assinniboines. Evidence -
a large Indian village ON the creek q
meath the caves were found by The ~ ~
oy, who said it had been the home ~.
the Blackfeet because circles Of rock. y.
ed only by that tribe, as q method of - =.
stening the edges Of the teepee, were ~
und.