Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-02-15
CHIEF MOUNTAIN
SILENT SENTINEL
OF STATE BORDER
SURROUNDED BY WEALTH OF IN
DIAN LEGEND AND HIS
TORIC LORE

No landmark was better known
20 the BIackfeet Indians In early
DAYS or 70 pioneers of Northern
Montana in the old staging and
freighting days than Chief Noun
tain, situated four miles south OF
the Canadian boundary line and
plainly visible from the north end
Of st. Mary's lake in Glacier park.
Chief Mountain stands far out TO
the east Of the main chain Of the
Rockies, appearing to rise from the
plains very abruptly, and around II
Is woven more wealth Of Blackfeet
legend and mysticism than is aSSo-
ciated with any other mountain In
what used to be their exclusive hunt
ing ground. The saddest Of the stories
of this age-old landmark is as follows:
In the old days there was a young
man of the Blackfeet who was noted
for his bravery in war. He soon be-
came a leader among the young men,
and after a time a chief About this
time he fell in love with a girl Of his
tribe and married her. The young pair
were deeply In. love with one another
and the chief refused to take any
other wife, living alone with her.
Soon the Blackfeet were engaged In
a bitter war with the Crows. At first
they were successful, but the time
came when a great war party, that
and confident, met with disaster. The
Crows killed all but half a dozen Of
them.
The young chief was called upon to
lead another party out for vengeance
ON the Crows, and he prepared for
the expedition. The morning he was
to leave, his wife came to him and
said that II he went on the war path
she must 60 also. This he forbade, but
she in turn said that If he went with
out her he would find his lodge cold
and empty when he returned and his
wife killed by her own hand.
The chief reasoned with her, and
finally she agreed that 1t was best
for all that he should go without her.
SO he started at the head Of a fine
array Of Blackeet warriors, and they
met and defeated the enemy But
when his followers returned to the
camp at the foot Of Chief Mountain,
they carried the body Of their leader,
who had been killed IN the thickest
Of the fighting.
When his wife learned Of his death
she became crazed with grief, or, as
the Blackfeet said, touched by the
Great Spirit" She wandered every
where looking for her husband, call
ing his name. Her people watched and
cared for her until one day she slipped
quietly away with her baby and was
far up the side Of Chief Mountain
before anyone saw her. Runners were
sent after her but she was too fleet and |
gained the top, where she signaled to |
those below in sign language that she !
had found her husband, and that they |
should not follow her. Then she threw |
the child far from her out over the pre- /
cipitate cliff that forms the face Of /
Chief Mountain. AS the tiny form
hurtled downward to the cruel rocks, 1
The mother leaped to her death hun /
dreds Of feet below.
The tragedy had been witnessed by
almost the entire band Of Blackfeef |
from their camp below, and now the
women, wailing and singing q tribal
ieath dirge, climbed to the point
where the battered bodies Of the
mother and her little one lay, and
carried them to a beautiful point on
he side Of the mountain, where they
buried them after the Indian custom.
The body Of the chief was also
brought and placed beside them.
The mountain was called from this
ime Nin-ais-tukku, which means
Chief mountain.
The Blackfeet held Chief Mountain
4 Superstitious awe because they be-
leved that q great cavern near its
ummit was the home Of tho Thunder