Featured Vacation Spot: Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village

Looking for a unique cultural experience? Imagine a relaxing vacation in the breathtaking foothills of the Rocky Mountains on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, where prairie and Rocky Mountains meet. Take a cultural vacation at the Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village, featured in National Geographic Adventure 2006.

Meet Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village owners. Darrell and Angelica Norman want to share the beauty of the Blackfeet culture and country with you, to create an understanding between cultures, enhance the economy on the reservation, and support the continuity of the Blackfeet culture. Darrell is a member of the ancient Blackfeet Thunder Pipe Society and Crazy Dog Society. His traditional and contemporary art is based on Blackfeet design and imagery, involving both painting and sculpture. He creates rattles, drums, shields, lances and rawhide containers. Angelika is an accomplished photographer whose works have been published in National Geographic’s travel museums.

Darrell, what kinds of tours are offered at Lodgepole? I give informative narratives of Blackfeet Culture and history, covering the significance of the areas that are visited. They include Buffalo Jumps, Town of Browing, Old Boarding School, Holy Family Mission, Old Badger Creek Agency and Sit of the Starving Winter area, Hear Butte area and the opportunity to observe medicine lodges and learn their history.

Tell us about the activities can your visitors experience at Lodgepole? Lodgepole Galley arranges trout fishing and horse back riding with Blackfeet guide. Customers go hiking on their own in Glacier National Park, which provides easy to moderate level hiking trails, visitor information centers and shuttle services through Glacier National Park.

What kind of fishing can visitors expect and would they need to bring anything? Visitors can fish for Trout in lakes and streams with a Blackfeet guide, who provides equipment and boats. Price $425 for 2 person full day.

Tell us about the horseback riding and hiking trails. Our Blackfeet guide for horseback rides has his family ranch in the neighboring village of Heart Butte (south part of the reservation) He is knowledgeable in medicinal plants and the cultural history of the region. Horseback rides are in pre alpine area on family owned land or tribal land closer to the Mountains. Hiking trails are in Glacier National Park. Only one outfitter (Many Glacier) has the confession to offer horseback riding in Glacier National Park. The trail are mainly used by hikers, although they have been originally installed to be horse accessible.

What kind of workshops can a visitor partake in while at Lodgepole? Our visitors can create and learn of the cultural significance of Par Fleche making (raw hide containers), drum, rattle and traditional necklace making.

What do visitors tell you is there favorite part of their stay at Lodgepole? Visitors enjoy the experience of staying in a tipi. They also enjoy the food as well as the talks about Blackfeet culture.

There are still available dates for the 2008 summer, so hurry and make your reservation now before they completely book up! Call Darrell and Angelika at (406) 338-2787 or Blackfeet Culture Camp.