About our Foundation and the
Chippewa Cree Tribe

The Foundation’s mission is:

To foster our culture, traditions, and heritage by educating, inspiring, and empowering our community and creating real change.

Our goal is to extend help and hope across Rocky Boy’s Reservation and the community.

The Foundation’s Focus Areas

• Healthcare
• Wellness (mental health, substance abuse, etc.)
• Education
• Language preservation
• Eldercare

The Community We Serve

According to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the unemployment rate for Chippewa Cree tribal members is 70%. The median household income is $22,824. Due to the remote location of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, there are very few employment opportunities and career advancements are limited.

Our remote location and limited resources negatively impact tribal members. By concentrating efforts on healthcare and education, the Foundation will help lift up the community and future generations.

Inspiring Future Generations

Through outreach programs, scholarships, and other initiatives, we will inspire our youth and change the trajectory of future generations. We will offer educational opportunities within Rocky Boy’s Reservation, as well as broaden perspectives beyond the reservation.

We will:

• Improve cycle of poverty.
• Upgrade housing.
• Provide propane or wood for winter heating.
• Provide tools based on community needs.
• Revitalize our traditional culture.

History of the Chippewa Cree Tribe

The Rocky Boy’s Reservation was established by congressional act—not by treaty—on September 7, 1916. Rocky Boy’s is the smallest reservation in Montana and home to the smallest tribe, the Chippewa Cree Tribe.

Rocky Boy's provides a home for about 2,500 members of the Chippewa Cree tribe. The name "Rocky Boy" was derived from the name of a leader of a band of Chippewa Indians. It actually meant "Stone Child," but it was not translated correctly from Chippewa into English, and "Rocky Boy" evolved.

Location

Rocky Boy's Reservation is near the Canadian border, in northcentral Montana. It is graced by the Bears Paw Mountains, which provide a dramatic contrast to the flat bottomlands of this area. The Rocky Boy's Reservation encompasses approximately 122,000 acres. The reservation is home to 55% of the 6,177 enrolled Chippewa & Cree tribal members.

The most recent data from 2018 presented by the Montana Economic Affairs Interim Committee, “Unemployment: Barriers in High-Poverty Areas,” notes 37.9% of the total population in Rocky Boy’s Reservation lives below poverty. Of the Rocky Boy’s population age 18-64, 35.7% live in poverty.