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Fort Peck chairman urges respect for treaty rights, improved tribal‑state partnerships and infrastructure investment
Summary
Chairman Justin Greyhawk Senior told the Legislature tribal nations are resilient but need infrastructure, protection of treaty rights and continued state support for education, Medicaid expansion and cultural programs.
Chairman Justin Greyhawk Senior of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes addressed a joint session of the Montana Legislature, urging lawmakers to honor treaty rights, partner on infrastructure and economic development, and avoid legislation that infringes on tribal rights or promotes division.
"We are your constituents and appreciate your support," Chairman Justin Greyhawk Senior said. He listed several examples of cooperation — a pending Fort Belknap water settlement with state support, tribal‑state consultations with the Department of Transportation on Poplar roundabouts and artwork, and a marijuana tax‑sharing agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes — while calling for continued partnership on health, education and economic development.
Why it matters: Tribal leaders told legislators that tribal nations contribute substantially to Montana's economy and that many reservations face deep infrastructure and employment challenges. Chairman Greyhawk emphasized that tribal nations expect respect for treaty rights, including hunting and fishing rights, and oppose bills that would infringe on those rights.
Greyhawk asked lawmakers to support measures the tribes prioritize — he named law enforcement funding, efforts addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP), Native American Day as a state holiday, government‑to‑government consultation and expanded Medicaid — and to avoid measures that would favor a single religion in public schools or limit tribal languages and culture. He called for attention to reservation infrastructure projects and said reservations have shovel‑ready projects awaiting funding and permitting.
The chairman also urged the Legislature to honor the Montana Constitution's requirement to teach Indian history and to consider the role of tribal economies: he cited reservations' combined contribution to the state economy and described Fort Peck Reservation's population and acreage. He closed by asking legislators to "keep us in mind as you plan for Montana tribal community needs."
