2020-05-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

imperativeparticularlyrelevanthere,as
theU.S.GeologicalSurveyanticipatesthat
theglacierswillhavemeltedby2030.
I parkupattheRoad’shighpoint,Logan
Pass,thetrailheadfortheshorthiketo
HiddenLakeOverlook.Theboardwalkpath
climbsthroughmist,whichgradually
dissipatesasa weaksunrisesinthesky.At
theoverlookaninformationpanelshowsthe
panoramathatI can’tsee– truetoitsname,
theHiddenLakeispartiallyobscuredbya
basinoffog.Butmysenseofwonderremains
undiminished.Theviewbackalongthetrail,
fromwheretheRockiesstretchalltheway to
,"+-0#2&,(312'#1 2&# !*'+
Therouteisa favouriteofDerekDesRosier,
a Blackfeettribalmemberandtourguide
whoI meetonmyreturntoLoganPass.
Hetellsmethetribalwordformountainis
‘mistuki’,meaning‘pushedup’,showing
indigenousunderstandingoftheactionof
tectonicplates,longbeforethatphraseever
#6'12#"#5-0)1$-03,-3012&# 012
companytooffera NativeAmerican
interpretationofGlacierNationalPark.‘We
believewe’vealwaysbeenhere,’hesays,as
weboardhisbus.‘Wedidn’thavea written
languagebutourhistories,ourstoriesand
oursongsinformusofourconnection.’On
thehorizonheindicatesChiefMountain,one
ofhistribe’smostsacredplaces,and– ona
map– TwoMedicineValley,namedforthe
medicinelodgesthatoncestoodthere,
structuresintegraltotheSunDance
ceremony.Pullingover,Derekpointsouta
cascadeofwater,BirdWomanFalls.The
theoryisthatit wasnamedafterSacajawea,
thedaughterofa chiefoftheShoshone
tribe, who guided the Lewis and Clark

Bualomeattraditionallymade

up80%of thePlainsIndiandiet,

andthiswasmostlyeatenas

pemmican.Portableandless

proneto spoiling,thismixtureof

driedmeatandmarrowfatwas

consumedmuchin thewaywe

nowusecalorie-denseenergy

bars.Lowerfatandhigherprotein

thanbeef,withlessof an

environmentalimpact,bualo

meatis makinga comeback.It

appearsonMontanamenus,

especiallyin burgerform.Theone

onoer at Allard’sin St Ignatius,

justoHighway93,is verytasty

• washit downwithoneof their
  huckshakes,madewithanother
  traditionalNativeAmericanfood:
  huckleberries.

6.#"'2'-,-, 2&#'0 012 $-0 7 ',2-2&#

AmericanWest.

Derekexplainsthatwhilesomenames

%'4#, 7 30-.#,1#22*#010##!2 2&#2'4#

Americantribes’connectionwiththeland,

othersmisinterpret:‘Thename“Blackfeet”

!+# 2&0-3%&-30012 ',2#0!2'-,5'2&

non-natives,theHudsonBayfurtraders.’

It wasthepracticeofindigenouspeopleto

burnforestsforrejuvenation,andwalking

throughthesecharredlandsblackenedtheir

feet.‘Ourtribalname,Niitsitapi,ismore

revealing,alludingtohowweheldourselves

inconnectiontotheland,’says Derek. ‘It

means“therealpeople”.’

Thesettlers’treatmentofindigenous

.#-.*#'1 0##!2#"', 2&# 12-07-$*!'#0

NationalPark’screation,andDerekhopes

hisguestscomeawaywitha better

understandingofthathistory– inallitsugly

complexity.‘Remainsdateourpresencehere

back10,000years.Thiswasa placesospecial

tous,weprotectedit atallcosts,’hesays,

explainingthecontextforthestill-contested

1895 Agreementthatprecededthecreation of

thepark.Histakeonthatlegislationis

unambiguous.‘Tribalmembersthought

theyweregrantingthegovernmentaccessto

thisland– butthatagreementwasbroken

whentheymadeit a nationalpark.’

0' *&3,2',%,"1&',%0'%&215#0#

revoked,a hugelosstoa communityalready

deprivedofitsmainsourceoffood– the

buffalo.‘Thisanimalprovidedeverything

weneededtolivea goodlife,’saysDerek.

Inthelate19thcentury,whitesettlers

systematicallydestroyedNorthAmerica’s

buffalopopulation– in 1840 thereweresome

35 million on the plains, but by 1890 there

THE BUFFALO DIET

Hikersonthetrailto

HiddenLakeOverlook.

Opposite:Oneof the

inhabitantsof the

National Bison Range

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