My name is Jessie Big Knife; I am a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe. I begin my story as many in my Tribe begin their stories—with an expression of gratitude. I am grateful to my grandparents and tribal elders for passing their stories to me; to each of you for reading this story; to the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources for focusing on the stories of Indigenous peoples; and especially to Jessica Wiles, of counsel with Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP, in Helena, Montana. Her thoughtful contributions and editorial assistance were invaluable in developing this article.
I also want to thank my community and the individuals involved in creating The History of the Chippewa Cree of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, an invaluable resource and significant contribution to this article. I give thanks first to show respect to those that have helped me. It is a way to remember that I am dependent on others and, ultimately, on Mother Earth, not only for survival but for community, and that no story can be passed on without this.
The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation is a federally recognized Indian tribe with a constitution that was established in 1935. Chippewa Cree Const. (1935). We reside on the smallest reservation in the state of Montana, but are rich in language, culture, traditions, and history. Our two main chiefs—Chief Rocky Boy (circa unknown to 1916) of the Chippewa people and Chief Little Bear (circa 1851 to 1921) of the Cree people—are considered our founding fathers. Edward Stamper et al., The History of the Chippewa Cree of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation 7 (2008). Congress established the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation on September 7, 1916, located in the Bear Paw Mountains of northcentral Montana. S. 3646, 64th Cong. § 1 (1916). Today, we are a combination of Chippewa (also known as Ojibwe) and Cree (Nei-yahw) peoples. Our tribal members ratified our Corporate Charter on July 25, 1936, and on October 1, 1993, we entered into a compact with the U.S. government, allowing us to take over certain functions to operate our Tribe. Because of our compact, we are able to operate our programs internally.
As the Supreme Court held in Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez, Tribal Nations are “distinct, independent political communities, retaining their original natural rights in matters of local self-government.” 436 U.S. 49, 55 (1978). “As separate sovereigns pre-existing the Constitution, tribes have historically been regarded as unconstrained by those constitutional provisions framed specifically as limitations on federal or state authority.” Id. at 51. As such, Tribal Nations have the power to create and amend their own substantive law in internal matters (i.e., sovereignty building) and to enforce that law in their own forums.
I was raised by my grandmother, Minnie Big Knife, a first-language Cree speaker, along with all 12 of her siblings, and numerous other grandmothers and grandfathers. Of the 26 tribal elders who taught me, only my grandma Minnie Big Knife and my grandma Evelyn Big Knife are still with us today. I regarded each of these elders as my heroes, for they used storytelling to teach and pass down lessons, values, and traditional knowledge to young people in our Tribe. As a child, I was told many stories and taught many protocols. At the time, I did not understand why my grandparents were teaching me—but they must have known they did not have much time, and I am grateful for their lessons. Many of these teachings came from Minnie, often involving lessons passed down from her father, “Big Knife,” my great-grandfather.
Growing up, I also heard many stories of Chief Rocky Boy’s values and belief systems. In a way, he foreshadowed the future and shared his wisdom with the people. Though he did not live to see our reservation established, he knew we would eventually secure a homeland. Stamper et al., supra, at 17. He told us to be kind to one another and to take care of one another, yet we rarely see that type of kindness and care today. Id. at 4. Rather, in our society, including mainstream society, we have no sense of belonging, which is why I am now sharing what little I know.
My grandparents taught me to always care for my mind as it would be the key to accessing these teachings, values, and beliefs in the future. These teachings included how to interact with Mother Earth. In our Cree language, we call her “O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y,” which is like saying the “one Mother Earth of us all.” O-kahw-i-no indicates “Mother of us all” and is recognized as being something higher, like a chief. “Ah-s-ki-y” indicates earth. Mother Earth is recognized within the Cree language as a living being rather than something lifeless.
Many of our teachings were intentionally not written down but shared orally, as we believed in the power of our minds to hold and pass on this wisdom. Given that we have a written tribal constitution, we should adapt it to reflect who we are as Chippewa Cree people. With modernization, we need to start writing down some of these teachings and incorporating them into our governments to ensure they are not forgotten.
Drawing from my experience as the former attorney general for the Chippewa Cree Tribe and from working with and knowing remarkable individuals throughout my career and life, such as Brandon The Boy, Evan Thompson, LeAnn Montes, and Zane Rosette, I have come to see myself as a modern-day warrior. As a tribal attorney, I am fully devoted to advocating for sovereignty-building to the broadest extent possible for Tribal Nations. Through our values, beliefs, languages, and traditional knowledge, Tribal Nations can create robust governments and legal systems that protect not only their people and communities but also the environment and all living beings. This approach to sovereignty-building can create something pure, profound, and resilient, ensuring the well-being of our people, communities, environment, and future generations.
This is a story about how tribal governments might address the threat that climate change poses to Mother Earth through sovereignty-building. The purpose is not to provide a simple one-size-fits-all prescription, but rather to provide an example of how environmental ethics and a people’s relationship to the planet can be shared with the rest of the world to inform our larger society’s approach to the climate crisis. By sharing this example of how Tribal Nations can deploy their sovereignty, I hope to inspire others to take action.
The Reciprocal Duty
In contrast to other cultures, the Chippewa Cree Tribe recognize a reciprocal duty to protect the environment as well as enjoy it. This duty is to take care of the environment, and in return the environment will take care of us. This principle is deeply embedded in our daily life and how we interact with O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y (Mother Earth). My grandparents, including Jeanne Big Knife-Hobbs, showed me how to honor this duty with respect and reverence. She showed me the importance of harvesting certain medicines and foods only at specific times of the year to follow the natural cycles and ensure that we do not disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem. She emphasized the importance of following the proper protocol when harvesting medicines and foods, including giving thanks and praying to O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y, offering her gifts, such as tobacco and sometimes cloth, and even singing songs about her.
As a child, my grandma Minnie sent me outside every morning to raise my hands to the sky and say “thank you (Ki-tah-tah-mi-i-n)” to the Sun (Pi-sim) in Cree. This daily ritual was a way of showing gratitude to our natural environment. And while others marked their years by the calendar, my grandfather Sky Child taught me different wisdom: The true new year begins only when the first thunder speaks.
Vernon The Boy also shared invaluable teachings about our environment. Every summer, he would spend days, from sunrise to sundown, in the mountains. He would say that through our mountains, O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y speaks to our hearts and minds, giving us clarity. He even encouraged us to walk barefoot on the ground so that we may stay connected to her. He would also tell us that everything we ever need comes from O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y. He would always pick up trash at campsites, among other places, and remind us to clean up after ourselves. Vernon The Boy was also a great artist. His artwork depicted what he called a cleaner O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y.
Like many other Tribal Nations, our community practices etiquette like these that teach responsibility, respect, and the interconnectedness to O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y and all living things. In my community, there are also ceremonies tied to O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y that take place throughout the year during specific times and seasons. These ceremonies are used to welcome the next season as well as the next group of helpers. As Indigenous people, we are intertwined and deeply connected to O-kahw-i-no Ah-s-ki-y, and we must carry these teachings for future generations. This is why I now advocate amending our tribal constitution to incorporate protections to address climate change.
