Tepees will illuminate the horizon on Peets Hill in Bozeman
Seven illuminated tepees will be raised on the south end of Peets Hill in Bozeman from Oct. 8 to 18 in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day. - photo provided by Jade E. Snell
Mountain Time Arts has commissioned seven illuminated tepees to be raised on the south end of Peets Hill in Bozeman from Oct. 8 to 18 in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day this year. The tepee lodges will be raised by the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and the Pretty Shield Foundation. The lodges will honor the contributions of American Indians to the community, landscape and culture. The tepees will be installed on the ancestral lands of the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d’Oreille, Kootenai, Blackfeet, Northern Cheyenne, Crow, Chippewa Cree, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, Dakota and other Indigenous Nations of this region.
As one of the first supporters of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the state of Montana, the city of Bozeman eagerly and graciously permitted the tepees to be raised on Peets Hill. Bozeman’s mayor, Cyndy Andrus, will deliver a Land Acknowledgement and her annual Indigenous Peoples Day Proclamation from the tepees this year at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 11. Her proclamation renews the city’s commitment to honoring the original stewards of the beautiful landscape.
William “Bill” Snell, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples Day is for everyone across the community.
“We bring hope, respect and honor to all people when we recognize Indigenous Day. This day is for all people in our nation.”
Francesca Pine-Rodriguez, executive co-director of Mountain Time Arts believes Indigenous Peoples Day is important to everyone in the country in order to understand our nation’s history.
“Moving everybody forward together is recognizing real history,” Pine-Rodriguez said. “It’s recognizing that the land you walk on every day was a tribes’ land and is sacred to them. The next step is to honor and celebrate it.”
“As a city we are committed to making Bozeman a more equitable and inclusive place where all are welcome,” Mayor Andrus said. “We’re growing every day, and as we do we must acknowledge and hold space for the indigenous peoples and lands upon which our community is built.”
Everyone is welcome to come up to the teepees between Oct. 8 and 18 and celebrate our country’s Indigenous heritage.
Donations to the Pretty Shield Foundation will be accepted at the tepees and can be made through the Pretty Shield Foundation, 3122 Brayton Street, Billings, MT 59102.
Contact MaryBeth Morand, marybeth@mountaintimearts.org, or Francesca Pine-Rodriguez, francesca@mountaintimearts.org for more information.