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