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56 Counties: The Dawes Act

Montana Tribal Territories, past and present
Montana Tribal Territories, past and present
Senator Henry Dawes (R-MA)
Senator Henry Dawes (R-MA)

The Dawes Act, passed in 1887, was one of the most significant actions by the U.S. government in terms of removing almost any hope of Native Americans to create a strong infrastructure for their tribes. Like most of the American government's actions during that period, it was presented in a way that was intended to try and convince people that they were acting in the best interests of all Americans. The story of the events leading up to this significant piece of legislation is the subject of this month's episode of 56 Counties.

album cover for the band Counting Coup
album cover for the band Counting Coup

The show is happy to feature the music from a local band in this episode, made up of Little Shell singer-songwriter Troy Falcon, his brother Toby Falcon, and harmonica player and vocalist Brenden Fritzler, who is Crow. The drummer, Matt Kuhl, is the husband of Misty Lee Kuhl, Director of Indian Affairs for the state of Montana.

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