Chief Mountain

History and significance

For hundreds of years, Chief Mountain has been sacred to Native American tribes in the United States and First Nations in Canada. The Blackfoot name is Nínaiistáko. The peak is easily seen from Montana and Alberta due to its rapid 5000-foot altitude gain over the Great Plains to the east. White explorers saw the mountain in the late 18th century, and it appeared as 'Kings Peak' on 1795 British maps.

In the early 1900s, white settlers observed native burial sites at the mountain's base. The name was changed in the late 19th century to reflect the Blackfeet name 'Great Chief.' When Glacier National Park was created in 1910, the summit and most prominent eastern slopes fell within the park, leaving only the lower slopes in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Natives from across North America travel to the base for sweet grass ceremonies, prayer flags, and other rites.

Elders from Southern Alberta's Siksika Band and other First Nations have an oral tradition that near the end of days, a Great White God would appear from the top of Chief Mountain, and upon his departure the mountain would crumble and be destroyed.

Geology

Chief Mountain is a klippe, a Precambrian block resting directly above much younger Cretaceous gray shales. This juxtaposition of older rock atop younger basement is common along the Lewis Overthrust, which extends from central Montana to southern Alberta. The surrounding portion of the thrust sheet has been removed by erosion, leaving isolated blocks of Proterozoic rock.

Climbing

The eastern face of Chief Mountain drops more than 1,500 feet straight down, and even the simplest path there is rated class 4. The rock is sedimentary, making secure anchor points scarce and adding to the challenge. On September 8, 1892, Henry Stimson, along with two others including a Blackfeet man, became the first white explorers known to reach the top by climbing that difficult face. At the summit, they found ceremonial items like bison skulls left by Native Americans.

No one successfully repeated that eastern ascent until 1951. While the summit can be reached from the west, the easiest approach is from the east, where the Blackfeet tribe may grant permits to cross their land. The whole mountain holds deep sacred meaning for the Blackfeet. For more details, stop by National Park Service visitor centers at St. Mary or Many Glacier.