Distinctly Montana Magazine

22 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 F or countless generations of indigenous peoples who traversed the Old North Trail, one topographic feature was unique- ly recognizable; its distinctive profile and relative isolation contributed significantly to its prominence as a landmark and sa- cred site. Located 4.5 miles south of the Canadian border, astride the boundary between Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Reservation, this peak has long been known to the Piikáni (Pie- gan) Blackfeet as Ninaistákis or Nínaiistáko (literally "The Chief Mountain"). Its summit (elevation 9,080 feet) affords command- ing views that extend more than 100 miles across the Northern Plains and, to the west, encompass an ocean of peaks deep in the heart of Glacier National Park. Conversely, Chief Mountain is visible, according to archaeologist Brian Reeves, from "the high- lands southeast of Calgary (118 miles) to the north, the Sweet Pine Hills (111.8 miles) to the east, and the highlands north of Great Falls (99.4 miles) to the southeast." A specialist in the prehistory of this region, Reeves concludes that Piikáni presence as a distinct archaeological culture "can be traced back over 1,000 years." Given their prolonged and intimate familiarity with Glacier's physical and sacred geography, the Piikáni regard Ninaistákis as the holiest mountain in their coun- try and a source of great spiritual power. Indeed, oral history, as well as the ethnographic and archaeological records, suggest that Chief Mountain was the focal point of a complex nexus of sacred sites on Glacier's east side, which the Piikáni utilized, especial- ly for the purpose of seeking visions. In the Two Medicine area, Running Eagle, a nineteenth-century woman warrior, received a vision in the cave behind the waterfalls that now bears her name. Ethnographic accounts indicate that vision quests were also per- formed on the mountains surrounding, and waters of, St. Mary and Waterton Lakes, including picturesque Wild Goose Island. Stone structures built by would-be visionaries constitute the one surviving physical signature of this deeply rooted religious tradition. These "fasting beds" are typically oval or U-shaped and consist of stacked rock slabs, with an opening to the east. Anthropologist Clark Wissler examined one of these structures on the crest of a hill near Two Medicine River and, in a 1912 monograph, listed its inside dimensions as "about five feet by three and three in height, just large enough for a man to lie in with some comfort." Reeves and Peacock conducted a compre- Iconic Landmark and Sacred Site Chief Mountain by DOUGLAS A. SCHMITTOU ROBERT SCHMITTOU

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