BSCNHA believes in celebrating our history, private property rights, and sharing our stories with ot
301 2nd Ave N
Great Falls, MT
59401
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Big Sky Country National Heritage Area is a place of transitions, a place where nationally significant events occurred that shaped this region, the western states, the nation, and the North American continent. As the Statement of National Significance leads, “[t]he vast Upper Missouri River landscape is where a pivotal transition occurred from the lifeways of Indigenous peoples to the settlement of an expanding American nation.” Taking a phrase from the Lewis and Clark journals, our story “proceeds on” from there.
It is a story of the mighty Missouri River that carved the landscape and shaped the ecological environment of a region. It is a story of the First Peoples’ ancient cultures and traditions carried on in the region for thousands of years. It is a story of the expansive reach of a new and growing nation, its explorers, and the transformational change brought to this land. It is the story of the frontiersmen and settlers, and the influx of people into undeveloped territory. And finally, it is a story of the upper Missouri River region of today, our lives and livelihoods, and this magnificent place we call Big Sky Country.
We tell this story with the words and images handed down to us, and through the historic and natural places that surround us – landmarks of the past and a canvas for our future. First People’s Buffalo Jump, the Great Falls Portage Route, Fort Benton, and the C.M. Russell Home and Studio—all National Historic Landmarks — anchor the region’s historical trajectory. In addition, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail traces through the region the Missouri River passage and the portage route of the nation-changing expedition. The landscape itself, memorialized first in the Lewis and Clark journals and later in Russell’s paintings, is distinctive as butte-dotted plains rise to meet the great Rocky Mountains. Across this landscape, westward expansion is marked by historic forts and trails, as well as the community, transportation, industrial, and agricultural resources that supported the region’s growth over time. The Missouri and its tributaries contain pristine natural settings and the hydro-electric dams on which Great Falls’ economy was built. Together, the region’s resources combine to tell a story that is undoubtedly nationally significant.
