Retrieval, Validation, and Protection of Historical Records of Rocky Boy's Chippewa Cree

FAIN: HR-50112-04

Matthew Herman
Stone Child College (Box Elder, MT 59521-8752)

The proposed project will involve tribal elders of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation in the review of historical records obtained from important collections in the United States and Canada in order to validate, verify, and/or enhance the information according to input provided by the living historians. The tribal elders and consultants will be Cree speakers and their input will be recorded in line with cultural protocol and scientific procedure. A conference will be held on the Rocky Boy's Reservation to present the findings and request involvement of private collectors of similar records. The tribal archives maintained by Stone Child College, the tribally-controlled college proposing the project, will be enhanced from a procedural aspect and the volume of the archival collection will increase. The project will require the participation of the present Stone Child College Native American Studies instructor as he is a fluent Cree speaker knowledgeable of all aspects of Cree culture.