Craig, Yes lots of reservation country is beautiful. Some natives there can make a living. But they just don't have working economies. The Cheyenne have some coal. The Crows have lots of it. It's hard to sell coal nowadays. Rocky Boy has some great mountain terrain and lots of empty prairie. The Salish is much broken up with non-native ownership. The Blackfeet is more intact but a difficult climate. People there can't eat the scenery. It they wanted to sell their rights to much of their sacred ground, they could get a short- term boost from oil development. They refuse to do that. If you want to gain some historical perspective on reservation issues in this part of the country, I suggest you read Sandoz' Cheyenne Autumn, Welch's Winter in the Blood, and Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. If you only have time for one, let it be Cheyenne Autumn.
Last edited by rocky mtn bill; 06/18/20 08:47 PM.
