Blaine County Museum

10/01/2026

lilóoycix [we joyfully welcome you]

Please note that the annual Commemoration event for Bear Paw Battlefield is Saturday, October 3rd at 10 am. The ceremony is hosted in conjunction with the Nez Perce National Historical Park [NPS].

If you are traveling from out of town, the museum is open through Saturday the 3rd from 9 am-5 pm, and we offer a documentary film and traveling exhibit about the Nez Perce Flight of 1877, exhibit courtesy of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail [Forest Service]. The museum has free admission, and we are happy to welcome you!

✨ Bears Paw Memorial ✨
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Location: Bears Paw National Battlefield | Time: 10:00 AM
‼️ Sign-up deadline: September 30 at 12:00 PM ‼️

Tribal Member Registration Instructions:
To sign up for the war memorials, please note that disbursement is based on one payment ➡️ per vehicle.

To register, email [email protected] and include:
✅ Your full name
✅ Request to receive assistance for Bears Paw
✅ Your Nez Perce enrollment number
✅ A good phone number in case of any emergency related to the event
​**REMINDER** The Nez Perce Tribal Offices are closed Monday, October 5, 2026, in honor of Bears Paw

10/01/2026

We have multiple copies for check out

09/30/2026

Today, Life's Language Lodge observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, "Orange Shirt Day". We pause to acknowledge, reflect on, and honor the survivors of residential and boarding schools, the children who never returned home, and the generations carrying the weight of this historical trauma.

Acknowledgment is only the first step. True reconciliation requires active, everyday dedication to reversing this trauma and dismantling its legacy. Here at LLL, that vital work lives in the reclamation, preservation, and cultural and especially language revitalization.

Language is more than communication; it is the center of our culture, identity, and worldview. Every time a word is spoken, a traditional teaching is shared, or a song is sung, we reclaim what was systematically targeted for erasure. By integrating both Aaniiih and Nakoda into our everyday teachings, we are not just preserving history—we are actively healing, building resilience, and grounding our future generations in their inherent strength and identity.

We commit to listening to the truths of the past, standing with our communities today, and carrying forward the everyday work of cultural and language revitalization.

Every child matters. Every word spoken is an act of reclamation.
🧡

09/30/2026

TODAY at 4 PM at the Chinook Senior Center, don't miss Áísínai'pi, A Visual Quest, with Calgary photographer Mark Vitaris! We will be raffling off a copy of Mark's book, which will also be available for purchase and signing at the event, along with a signed copy of a beautiful poster featuring the dramatic landscape of Writing-On-Stone (Áísínai'pi) Provincial Park.

Tickets are $2 each or 8 for $10, and the book retails for $65. All proceeds go back to our annual fall speaker series, which is free and open to all members of the public. See you this afternoon!

09/28/2026

Blaine County Museum welcomes its first speaker of the Fall 2026 Speaker Series Wednesday, September 30th at 4pm in the Chinook Senior Center (324 Pennsylvania St.).

Artist Mark Vitaris will be presenting his recent work and signing copies of his latest book Áísínai'pi, A Visual Quest.

“The book explores the spiritual, cultural, and natural significance of Áísínai’pi (Writing-on-Stone), a sacred Blackfoot landscape and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in southern Alberta, through personal narratives, reflections, legends, and historical accounts.”

As always, museum speaker series events are free and open to the public. We look forward to welcoming you!

09/28/2026

Our next market is scheduled for this coming Saturday in Hays!! All vendors/ concessions are welcome! 🛍️

09/24/2026

09/18/2026

I’ll (try to) keep this week’s Museum Memo short – although the peak tourist season has ended, we are staying busy with travelers dropping by to check out the museum and conduct research while the weather is still mild. All the while, Olivia and I are hyper focused on producing our newest temporary exhibit for display in the museum lobby. The exhibit, observing 250 years of history in Blaine County, will debut at the Chinook Sugarbeet Festival on Saturday, September 26th following the Montana Constitution Roadshow at the Blaine County Library from 10:30-11:30. The Montana Constitution Road Show will be the last program in this summer’s “Our Montana Voices” speaker series sponsored by Humanities Montana. We hope you’ll attend the Roadshow and follow the program with a viewing of our exhibit as part of a meaningful America 250 experience during this year’s Festival.

Earlier in the week, we will have our September board meeting on Tuesday the 22nd at 3 PM at the museum. A representative from Blaine County Historical Foundation will be in attendance to provide an update on their current business.

A few other reminders and announcements: we still encourage residents county-wide (as well as former residents and other locals) to participate in our community needs assessment survey. Hardcopies can be found at the museum, and links to the digital survey form are posted on Facebook (https://forms.gle/Ma2XwVCtVRTx5JCd8). We are still finalizing the details of our Fall 2026 Speaker Series, and our first speaker, Mark Vitaris, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30th at 4 PM at the Chinook Senior Center. Mark is an award-winning Canadian photographer and author, and he will be presenting on and signing his newest book Áísínai'pi, A Visual Quest. The book features stunning photographs of Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just north of Shelby across the Canadian border. In addition to our newest lobby exhibit, we want to continue to encourage the public to come in and view “The Journey of the Resilient Nimíipuu”, a traveling exhibit that we are borrowing courtesy of the Forest Service. The 149th anniversary of the Nez Perce Flight and Bear Paw Battlefield is coming up in October.

Finally, as we are increasingly busy around the museum, Olivia and I have been discussing reviving the museum’s volunteer docent program. So, if you think you may be interested in helping greet visitors and assist with the day-to-day here at the museum, please stop by and chat with us! There is always, always something to do at the museum.
- Sam

09/17/2026

Please join us on Monday, September 21st at the Cultural Center from 10:00 am-11:30 for a special presentation from Tipiziwin Tolman on her family's winter count.