Native American Drumming | Harlem, Montana
The Fort Belknap Singers are a family-based traditional drum group from the Fort Belknap Reservation, home to the Assiniboine (Nakoda) and Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) (meaning the White Clay People). Other Native peoples referred to them as the ” Water Falls People”. The sign for the waterfall was the passing of the hands over the stomach. The French traders interpreted this as meaning “big belly” and called the Aaniiih the Gros Ventre, meaning “big belly” in French.
The Nakoda (meaning the Generous Ones) migrated from the Minnesota woodlands westward onto the northern plains with their allies, the Plains Cree. The Chippewa, called the Nakoda as the Assiniboine people in their language, an Ojibwe word meaning “one who cooks with stones”. The Nakoda would heat rocks and put them in rawhide pots to heat water and cook food. The Nakoda peoples live on both the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian Reservations in Montana and on several reserves in Canada.
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is located 40 miles south of the Canadian border and 20 miles north of the Missouri River, which is the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is the fourth-largest Indian reservation in Montana. Created by an Act of Congress on May 1, 1888, the Fort Belknap Agency was established at its present location, four miles southeast of the present township of Harlem, Montana.
The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation extends approximately 28 miles east and west and 35 miles north and south. The land is mostly rolling plains. The main industry is agriculture, consisting of small cattle ranches, raising alfalfa hay for feed, and larger dryland farms.
The Fort Belknap Singers were formed in 1972 and were given their name by grandfather Ira Talks Different who told the founding drummers “You all live in different parts of Fort Belknap and you all represent each community, your drum group should be called Fort Belknap Singers.”
Since 1973, the drummers, now featuring a second generation of drummers, have become known along the Montana High Line for their original grass-dance style.
We are grateful and honored to have the Fort Belknap Singers during the hectic pow-wow season to represent and present the authentic ancient traditional music of Native drumming at the 2023 Montana Folk Festival.