2020-05-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

Thegrizzlybearis Montana’s

stateanimal,andGlacier

NationalParkhasanabundant

populationof grizzliesandblack

bears.Encounteringonein the

wildcanbethrilling,butto stay

safein bearcountrytheNational

ParkServicesuggests:

)Makingplentyof noisewhile

walking– to preventsurprisingan

animal– andavoidingdawn,

duskor nighttimehikes.

)Neverleavingfoodor rubbish

unattended.

)Alwayscarryingbearspray,

whichcanberented(dailyrental

£7;goglacieroutfitters.com).

werefewerthan1,000.‘Ourconnectiontothe

buffalowasintegraltoouridentity,’says

Derek.‘Butsomeeldershadneverseenone –

untilweestablishedourownherd.’

Now,buffaloonceagainroamtheplains.

AsI headintoBrowning,thereservation’s

maintown,I spottheherdfromthehighway,

theirshaggysilhouettesunmistakeableas

theylumberacrossa linearhorizon.The

*,"1!.# �# '1 2 1$ 0 12&# #7# !,1##

a starkcontrasttoGlacier’speaks.Echoing

themountains’shape,albeitona smaller

scaleisa distinctivelocalfeature– thetipi.

LodgepoleTipiVillageontheoutskirtsof

townoffersvisitorsthechancetosleepin

-,#," +7 #" ,#2*7 +"#," *-%1 *'"

0#"7 $-0 2&#0#$**1*##. 5 2!&',%

smokespiraltowardsthestarsandlistening

tothehornofa passingfreighttrain.

ThefollowingmorningI meetmyhost,

BlackfeetartistDarrellNorman,whoaswell

asrentingouttipisdisplayshisworkat

Lodgepole.LikemanyNativeAmericans, he

isofmixedancestry,andlearnedthe

traditionalartforms– makingdrums,

rattles, shields and the envelope-like ‘par

#!&#!-,2',#01$0-+&'1*!)$##2#*"#01

Hesellshisworkonline,butsuch

entrepreneurshipmakeshimananomaly

here– unemploymentontheBlackfeet

Reservationisaround50%,andmostwho

dohavejobsareemployedingovernment

schemes.ForDarrell,hisarthasanother

purpose– makingvisiblea culturethathas

beenobscured,thoughnotobliterated,bythe

radicalchangeshiscommunityhasendured.

HepointsoutthatmanyofNativeAmerica’s

!0#2'4# *#%!'#173,"#02&# 0" 0 #12#0,

rodeofashions,likethetasseledfringe,are

considerediconicallyAmerican but owe a

cleardebttotribaldesigns.

Suchgarmentsweremeanttobeseenin

motion,butarenowmorereadilyfoundin

oneoftheinstitutionsthatdocumentthe

experienceofMontana’stribes– suchas

Pablo’sPeople’sCenter.Here,Margaret

Sheridanshowsmea turn-of-the-century

beadedbuckskindressthatbelongedtoher

Salishgreat-grandmother.‘Thisisn’tancient

history.Intheearlythirties,westillwore

clotheslikethis,’shesays,showingme

black-and-white photographs of people in

20 "'2'-,*"0#11-+#,', -30 !-++3,'27

aretryingtobringit back.’Mothersmake

beadedcoversfortheirchildren’scar

seats,andobserve‘moccasinMondays’.

‘I hopethatif weputourselvesoutthereour

peoplewillstarttofeelmorecomfortable

withtheirculture,’shesays.Margaret

passionatelybelievesthatmodernsociety

hasa lottolearnfromindigenouspeople,

citingasanexamplethelifecycleofthe

,320'2'-312'4#+#0'!, '22#00--2#

!--) 2&#+2- +)# 1-3. 32 5&#,7-3,"

oneyouhavetopulloutitsheartandreplant

it soit cangrowagain,’shesays.‘Inorderfor

ustosavethisworld,we’llhavetogobackto

thesewaysofthinking.’Otherwise,weshall

returntotheplacemanyPlainsIndians

believe we all came from – the water.

BEWARE THE BEAR

XXXXXXXXX

ORLATHOMAStravelled

withsupportfromthe

MontanaOce of

Tourism.Sheenjoyeda

fewculinaryfirstson hertrip,including

a bualo burger and a huck shake.

LodgepoleTipiVillage

ownerDarrellNorman,

a Blackfeetartist,works

ona bualo‘fetish’.

Opposite:Lodgepole

TipiVillageoersa

unique night on the plains