Montana-grown tree adorns American Indian museum

By Perry Backus - 12/02/2008

Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor Dave Bull helps Jane Sledge of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC decorate a tree cut from the Salish/Kootenai Tribal Lands near Pablo. The tree was one of 80 smaller companion trees from Montana that are now decorating offices in the city as part of the Capitol Christmas Tree program. It was the first time ever a companion tree was donated to the museum.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 1864, America's Civil War and the practice of slavery were in their final chapter.

It was the year that Montana became a territory of the United States and famed cowboy artist Charlie Russell was born in St. Louis.

It also was the year a little subalpine fir germinated not far from a creek that somebody would eventually name Rye.

"American Indians were a major political force then," said Montana troubadour Jack Gladstone, whose father was a Blackfeet Indian. "And it's good that people understand that we still exist today." On this Monday morning, Gladstone helped a small group gathered next to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., decorate a Christmas tree donated by the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes from Pablo.

The tree was one of 80 companion trees shipped to Washington with the 144-year subalpine fir cut in November at Rye Creek on the Bitterroot National Forest that will serve as this year's Capitol Christmas Tree.

The companion trees were gathered from federal, state and private lands from all parts of Montana. They now decorate offices throughout the Capitol. Their branches are filled with ornate handmade ornaments donated by Montanans and others.

This is the first time that a companion tree was offered to the American Indian Museum.

Paula Wofford of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conversation and a member of the Salish-Kootenai Tribes spearheaded the effort.

"The tree came from our reservation and I'm really pleased to see it here," she said, watching people taking turns to carefully put ornaments made by people from several different Montana Indian tribes on the tree.

All the ornaments on the tree were handmade by Montana Indians, both young and old, she said.

"A lady in Browning hand-delivered an intricately beaded ornament to me and asked that I make sure that it was placed on this tree," Wofford said. "In Browning, they did a drum song for us.

Looking through the boxes of ornaments, Jane Sledge, the museum's associate director of assets and collections, said she was moved by the fact that most had names written across the back.

"You feel the connection between the people who worked really hard on these ornaments," Sledge said. "Just by looking at them, you can see that they really put a lot of love into their efforts ... that's really what Christmas is supposed to be about. That joy in people's hearts.

— Ravalli Republic editor Perry Backus may be reached via e-mail at perry.backus@lee.net.