Letter to the Editor - Fort Belknap name needs to be changed

Ha midaguyabi (Hello my relatives)

We are writing this letter to inform the people and communities that the Tribal Government Class at Hays-Lodge Pole High School feels there should be a name change for the Fort Belknap Reservation. We did research on the name “Fort Belknap” and came up with these documented facts:

• “Fort Belknap was established on the south side of the Milk River in 1869, one mile southwest from the present town site Chinook. The Fort was named for William W. Belknap, who was secretary of war at the time, under President Grant. The Fort was a sub-station combined with a trading post, and it became the Government Agency for the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Indians living in the area.” (Creating a Better Understanding, pg. 3)

• “As the preponderance of testimony and evidence came to show, Belknap had apparently profited from a scheme to sell the Indian post trader ship at Fort Sill, Indian Territory, to a New York business man. The deal had been struck indirectly in 1870 by Carita Belknap, Belknap’s second wife, who cautioned Marsh to negotiate through her and to avoid direct discussions of trader ship with Belknap. Marsh paid $20,000 over 5 years, directed to Belknap who signed receipts for the money.” (Biographical Dictionary of Iowa.com)

• “His tenure as President Grant’s Secretary of War was controversial, with Belknap accused of indirectly selling weapons to France.” (Dbpedia.com)

• “A congressional investigation in 1876 revealed that Belknap had received kickbacks in return for a lucrative contract.” (Dbpedia.com)

• “Impeached February 1876 for criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private again” (United States Senate.gov)

We want to change the name “Fort Belknap Indian Reservation” to “Aaniiihnin/Nakoda Nation” (Gros-Ventre/Assiniboine). Aaniiih is the modern-day version (which got cut short for Aaniiihnin) of Gros-Ventre meaning “Waterfall People or Upright People,” Nakoda meaning “The People.” We are not the first people who wanted this name change. There was a group before us in the 1970s. Unfortunately, they were not successful.

When people enter our reservation we want to be known as strong Aaniiihnin and Nakoda people, not people named after a government official who did not benefit us at all. We want a good change for our people and for future generations to come!

Pinamaya (Thank you),

The Hays-Lodge Pole High School Tribal Government Class