History
The Agency Cemetery is situated within the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Blaine County, Montana, serving the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre communities. The reservation itself was formally established in 1888 through an act of Congress, following the signing of the Fort Laramie treaties of 1851 and 1855, which defined the ancestral territories of these tribes. The cemetery's history is intrinsically linked to the broader narrative of the Fort Belknap Agency, which was re-established in 1878 to provide supplies to the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine peoples after a period of displacement.
The establishment of the Fort Belknap Reservation in 1888 involved the cession of 17.5 million acres of ancestral lands, leading to the creation of smaller reservations including Fort Belknap, Blackfeet, and Fort Peck. The region experienced significant changes, such as the discovery of gold in the Little Rocky Mountains in 1884, which led to land cessions. The arrival of Jesuits in 1862 and the subsequent establishment of St. Paul's Mission in 1887 near Hays also influenced the cultural landscape, leading to the decline of some traditional ceremonies, though core spiritual beliefs persisted.
While specific details about the cemetery's founding date are not explicitly stated, its location within the Fort Belknap Agency suggests its establishment around the time the agency was re-established or the reservation was formed. The cemetery primarily serves the tribal communities of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Its current condition and preservation status are not fully documented in publicly available records, but the presence of numerous memorials on platforms like FamilySearch indicates ongoing use and care by the community. The lack of a dedicated cemetery office points to a more informal, community-managed approach to its upkeep and record-keeping.
Landscape and markers
The cemetery is a physical record of the harshness of the frontier. The dates carved into the markers tell a story of brief booms and sudden collapses, of winters that took the young and mining accidents that took the strong. To walk among these graves is to feel the immense weight of the past pressing down on the present landscape.
Who is buried here
The stones here tell the story of the settlement. Notable individuals buried in Agency Cemetery, Fort Belknap Agency, Blaine County, Montana, include James Adams (1910–1996), Matthew Moss Adams (1830–1907), Clementine Deafy (also known as Clementine Horse Capture) (1892–1976), Joseph Riel Falcon (1907–1935), Gary Leon Horse Capture (also known as Khe Gun - Warrior) (1941–2007), Paul Horse Capture (1880–1942), Sam King (1869–1951), and Harvey King (1895–1941). The burial records reveal a significant presence of individuals from prominent local families such as the Adams, Cochran, DeCelles, Falcon, Horse Capture, and King families, highlighting the strong community ties within the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
Visiting
The Agency Cemetery is located behind the Fort Belknap Agency in Blaine County, Montana, near Harlem. Coordinates are approximately 48.47670, -108.77020. There is no cemetery office for information, and historically, the Catholic Diocese of Great Falls may have maintained records. Visitors should be aware that this is a cemetery on an Indian Reservation, and respect for the site is paramount. Specific road conditions or hours are not readily available, suggesting it is likely accessible during daylight hours, similar to other rural cemeteries. The condition of the site and stones would need on-site observation.