Kind of a Photo Essay

Of many sweaty miles across Montana

Boozhoo! Aaniin! Welcome to the FIRST EVER PAID SUBSCRIBER ONLY EDITION! of An Irritable Métis. Maybe you aren’t a paid subscriber and you’re wondering why you’re seeing this? It’s because the way it’s set up you’ll get to see it … up to a point. To see the rest, you have to become a paid subscriber. Frankly, I’m not sure how I feel about this but it’s worth a try. And if you’re someone who really digs this newsletter but just can’t add more expense to your existence, I get it. Just message me and let me know, no questions asked, and I’ll hook you up. I want a community here, not customers.

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Hand surfing Montana Hwy 41, somewhere south of Whitehall, MT

There are few things I love more than a road trip. Sometimes when I tell people where I’m going, what I’m doing, etc. they will make comments like, “But that’s so far!” and my response is usually akin to, “I know, isn’t that great?” So for this first offering exclusively for you wonderful paid subscribers, I’ve gathered a few shots from the recent spate of trips I’ve made. To Yellowstone for the All Nations Tipi Gathering, to Great Falls for the Little Shell powwow, and to Lewistown for a presentation at American Prairie on behalf of Humanities Montana, followed by a visit to the Métis powwow there. I feel very fortunate to be able to take the time to do all of these important activities and the only reason I can is because of you subscribers. I can’t express enough gratitude for that.

That said, photo essays are just one thing I could do and I don’t know how interesting this even is. I’m open to other suggestions you might like to see. I’m considering a podcast-type thing, or something audio-based either to bloviate on my own or interview other interesting people. I don’t know. Suggestions via the comments would be most welcome!

I hope you enjoy these photographs. It was difficult narrowing them down to even this many, which are still probably too much for you to deal with. They are a mixture of shots taken with my iPhone 11 and my tired old Canon that I’ve had for years and years but still keeps cranking away.

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Yellowstone

It should be noted I was only here because of all the work done by Mountain Time Arts. What an opportunity! What an organization!

First view of the tipi village eastbound into YNP from its west entrance, the Madison River in the foreground, early evening on what looked like a potentially stormy day (it wasn’t)

Each tipi had a sign for each represented tribe; there were 13 tipis, then signs for the other 14 of the 27 the park recognizes as having interacted in some way with the park traditionally; Indigenous folks have that number somewhere in the 40s and 50s, depending on who you ask

Art and music was part of the celebration too; these pieces were beside the trail on the way down to the meadow from the parking lot

Speaking of music, the first night’s performer was Apsáalooke rapper and fancy dancer SUPAMAN. He was fantastic. You can check out one facet of what he does via this video for “Prayer Loop Song”

Looking west at National Park Mountain just as the sun begins to flex in the early morning

Of course you remember this guy….

The mark he left extends well beyond the tracks in his wallow for the night….

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Heading North to Great Falls

Opposing traffic on my meandering way out of Yellowstone, somewhere in Idaho, just before I was driving through splashing puddles and realized, “That isn’t mud….”

It has been politicized by cynical jackasses playing on fear, but I admit I do love the cowboy life of horses and tack and all of it

View of the Beaverhead River from the top of Clark’s Lookout State Park in Dillon, MT. I’ve never spent much time in the Dillon area and it is gorgeous. I’m pretty sure those are the Blacktail Mountains in the distance

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Great Falls

First opportunity for our tribe to gather since January 25, 2020

Grand Entry

Elder fancy dancers in Grand Entry

Women fancy dancers, arguably the most beautiful beings on earth

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Lewistown

This guy’s face was EVERYWHERE when I rolled into town, which is weird, but also contributed to an excellent turnout at the presentation. This one was posted up in the Central Montana Museum, an EXCELLENT small town museum for folks into that kind of thing

The calm before the storm….

This guy Owen Skornik-Hayes is new to his gig in Great Falls TV and made the trip to Lewistown to interview me. He gets a few details wrong but otherwise did a nice job. Click HERE or the image if you want to watch it; it aired in GF last weekend but has been picked up in Missoula too, apparently.

Young Guns drum group – who I also think were at our LST powwow – beginning to drum and sing in the Grand Entrance Saturday afternoon

Don’t forget to eat! Indian tacos are a powwow staple, friends….

Intertribal dance, which means everyone, in regalia or not, in the tribe or not, can dance. Would you join me?

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Headed Home

Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump. It was every bit of the 100° my weather app was telling me it was, and smoky. I sat on the ledge and reflected, feeling like the only person in the world

Pulled off I-15 somewhere north of Helena just to jump in the Missouri River. Did I mention it was hot?

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And that’s it. Please let me know what you think of this, and what else you might like to see. As always, miigwech, friends, for hanging in there. Things seem to have gotten out of hand with this one, heh. I appreciate you for being here.

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