The Custodian of the Plains:

The Historical Significance of Earl Old Person in Montana and Indigenous History

Introduction

The history of Montana and the broader American West is often narrated through the lenses of expansion, conflict, and statehood. However, a comprehensive historical analysis requires an examination of the enduring sovereignty and cultural resilience of the Indigenous nations that predate these colonial structures. Central to this narrative in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is Earl Old Person (1929–2021), a leader of the Blackfeet Nation whose tenure spanned over six decades. As the longest-serving tribal official in United States history, Old Person’s significance lies not merely in his longevity, but in his role as a bridge between the traditional Niitsitapi (Blackfeet) way of life and the complex administrative landscape of modern federal-tribal relations. His leadership navigated the era of termination, the rise of self-determination, and the preservation of linguistic and spiritual heritage, making him a cornerstone figure in Montana’s political and cultural evolution.

Early Life and Cultural Foundations

Earl Old Person was born on April 13, 1929, in the Starr School community on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. His upbringing occurred during a pivotal transition for the Blackfeet people, as the generation that had lived through the buffalo-to-reservation transition was passing on its knowledge. Raised in a household where the Blackfeet language was primary, Old Person was mentored by elders who instilled in him the oral traditions, songs, and protocols of the Amskapi Piikani.

His early public life was marked by a unique role as a cultural ambassador. In 1947, shortly after graduating from Browning High School, he was selected to attend the sixth World Boy Scout Jamboree in Moisson, France. As the only Indigenous scout from the United States in attendance, he famously pitched his father’s tipi on the outskirts of Paris, signaling a lifelong commitment to presenting Blackfeet identity on a global stage without compromise. This event foreshadowed his ability to move fluidly between the localized needs of his community and the international arenas of diplomacy.

Political Ascent and the Struggle for Sovereignty

Old Person’s formal political career began in 1954 when he was elected to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council at the age of twenty-five. His entry into tribal governance coincided with the "Termination Era" of federal Indian policy, a period characterized by House Concurrent Resolution 108, which sought to end the trust relationship between the federal government and tribal nations, effectively dissolving reservations and tribal status.

Old Person became a vocal opponent of termination, recognizing it as a direct threat to the survival of the Blackfeet as a distinct political and cultural entity. His leadership during this crisis helped solidify the Blackfeet Nation's resistance. In 1964, he was elected Tribal Chairman, a position he would hold for the vast majority of the next fifty years. His leadership style was characterized by a "consensus-seeking" approach, rooted in traditional Blackfeet governance models rather than purely Western parliamentary procedures.

National Leadership and Federal Advocacy

The historical significance of Earl Old Person extends far beyond the borders of the Blackfeet Reservation. He was a founding and influential member of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), serving as its president from 1969 to 1971. This period was the height of the "Red Power" movement and the transition toward the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975.

As NCAI President, Old Person acted as a primary liaison between tribal nations and the federal government. He met with every U.S. President from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama, advocating for the protection of treaty rights and the acknowledgment of tribal sovereignty. His 1971 testimony before Congress was instrumental in the rejection of termination policies in favor of self-determination. He argued that the federal government’s "trust responsibility" was not a matter of social welfare, but a legal and moral obligation stemming from the land cessions that built the United States.

Land and Resource Defense

In Montana, Old Person is remembered for his fierce defense of the Badger-Two Medicine area, a site of immense spiritual significance to the Blackfeet located at the intersection of the reservation, Glacier National Park, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. During the 1980s, when the federal government issued oil and gas leases in the area without tribal consultation, Old Person led the legal and grassroots opposition.

He famously argued that for the Blackfeet, the land was their "cathedral," and that industrial development in the Badger-Two Medicine was an infringement on their First Amendment rights to religious freedom. His persistence over four decades eventually led to the cancellation of the final leases in the 2010s, a landmark victory for Indigenous land rights and environmental conservation in Montana.

Cultural Stewardship and Education

Perhaps his most enduring legacy is the preservation of the Blackfeet language and ceremonial life. In 1978, he was named the "Honorary Lifetime Chief" of the Blackfeet Nation, a title that reflected his status as a cultural repository rather than just a political administrator. He was a master of the "Sign Language of the Plains" and a lead singer for many of the tribe’s most sacred societies.

Old Person recognized early on that political sovereignty was hollow without cultural sovereignty. He was a champion for the establishment of Blackfeet Community College in Browning, ensuring that tribal members had access to higher education that incorporated Piikani studies. He frequently visited schools, encouraging youth to "jump up and try," a phrase he credited to his parents, which served as a call to action for academic and cultural excellence.

Conclusion

The historical narrative of Montana is incomplete without the inclusion of Earl Old Person. He was a statesman who navigated the twentieth century's most turbulent Indian policies while maintaining the dignity of his ancestors. By the time of his death in 2021, he had transformed the role of a tribal chairman into that of a global dignitary, proving that Indigenous leadership could be both modern and traditional. His life serves as a testament to the fact that the Blackfeet Nation—and by extension, the Indigenous peoples of Montana—are not relics of the past but active, sovereign participants in the state's ongoing history.

Works Cited

Continental Divide Trail Coalition. "Chief Earl Old Person." Continental Divide Trail Coalition, 16 Mar. 2022, https://cdtcoalition.org/chief-earl-old-person/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Fleming, Walter. "Look at the Past, Present, and Future of the Indian People: A Narrative by Earl Old Person." ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 1989, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED337302.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Mabie, Nora. "Blackfeet Chief Earl Old Person Leaves Behind Legacy to Admire." ICT News (Indian Country Today), 17 Oct. 2021, https://ictnews.org/news/blackfeet-chief-earl-old-person-leaves-behind-legacy-to-admire/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. "Earl Old Person - Living Inductee 2014." Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center, 2014, https://montanacowboyfame.org/inductees/2014/5/earl-old-person-living. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Pallister, Casey. "Chief Earl Old Person (Blackfeet) - State-Tribal Relations Committee Biography." Montana State Legislature Archive, Dec. 2025, https://archive.legmt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2025-2026/STRC/December-09-2025/Chief_Earl_Old_Person_Bio.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. "Chief Earl Old Person - News & Announcements." Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, 18 Oct. 2021, https://www.rmtlc.org/chief-earl-old-person/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

University of Montana. "Head Staff Biographies: Dr. Earl Old Person." Kyiyo Pow Wow - University of Montana, https://www.umt.edu/kyiyo/kyiyopowwow/headstaffbios.php. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.