2023 American Indian Interpretive Rangers

Jacob Brien and Trey Wolfback

 

Two American Indian college students, Trey Wolfblack of the Northern Cheyenne, and Jacob Brien of the Crow, served as Interpretive Rangers this summer under the first year of the American Indian Student Interpretive Ranger Program at Fort Phil Kearny and the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic landmarks.

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Jacob is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT., and a Crow Studies degree at Little Bighorn College. He has a special interest and skills in Crow language. Trey is pursuing an associate degree at Chief Dull Knife College. He has a special interest in natural resource management and telling traditional Cheyenne stories. Both students brought unique skills and knowledge to share with visitors and staff at our National Landmarks this summer.

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This program was developed an initiated by the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association (FPK/BTA) in partnership with Wyoming State Parks, Bighorn National Forest, and Wyoming Council for the Humanities. Goals of the nine-week program included: Providing American Indian college students with employment, training, and career advancement opportunities.  Additional goals were to expand the historical perspectives and content of our interpretive programs and increase diversity of our seasonal interpretive staff. Visitors received an opportunity to learn about the rich cultural histories of our American Indian community members from American Indian voices.

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Dave McKee of the FPK/BTA conducted Recruiting efforts with nine colleges in Montana and Wyoming beginning in November of 2022 and continued through the spring of 2023. We were delighted that Jacob and Trey accepted positions as our initial program participants.  In addition to a weekly stipend the students receive free housing, and one workday a week to purse and an independent study course at their colleges.   Through funding support FPK/PTA also provide some mileage reimbursement for the students and when needed we provided transportation as an In-Kind match.

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The program began on June 12th at Porcupine Ranger Station on the Bighorn National Forest where Jacob and Trey, along with Forest Service Interpreters completed a one-week National Associating of Interpretation certification training course taught by Linley Mayer of Wyoming State Parks and Kelsy Bean of the Bighorn National Forest.  FPK/BTA program Leader Dave McKee, FPK/BTA program Leader attended the class presentation session on Friday, 16th.  Dave received very positive feedback about the importance and value of the NIA interpreter training from trey and Jacob, the SCA seasonal interpreters and both returning long-term seasonal lead interpreters. I highly recommended that the Forest host this training again next year with Linley and Kelsey as the trainers. Following the week of training, Trey Wolfblack began a 4-week tour at Fort Phil Kearny and Jacob began his tour at the Medicine Wheel. State Parks and forest Service personnel provided specific in-site interpreter training at their respective sites. 

Jacob began his tour by participating in a week of Forest Service orientation along with other Forest Service seasonal employees.   

 

Dave visited the Medicine Wheel several times over the summer to monitor Jacob’s performance and provide support for him.  Dave observed Jacob working at the Medicine Wheel. He was very engaging with visitors.  He answered questions and provided visitors with education on the cultural significance of the site to the Crow including connections of the site to Crow star knowledge.  People were also very interested in his sharing of Crow language.  Overall, I thought Jacob served as an excellent representative of the Forest Service and the Crow Nation during his tenure. Jacob completed his tour at the Medicine Wheel on July 16th and moved to Fort Phil Kearny to begin his tour for Wyoming State Parks. Jacob and Dave McKee attended the August 12th Medicine Wheel consultation meeting and presented a report to the consulting parties on benefits and accomplishments of the program. Following the presentation Dave conducted an exit interview with Jacob who liked the program, was grateful for the opportunities, and hoped to apply for a seasonal position with the Bighorn National Forest to work at the Medicine Wheel next summer.

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A key component of the program was to recruit tribal mentors who would visit the students at the Medicine Wheel and Fort Phil Kearny to provide guidance and cultural training for the two students.  We were able to retain Donovin Sprague to visit both Trey and Jacob during their work sessions at Fort Phil Kearny.  Donovin is a Minnicoujou Lakota historian, published author, and faculty member at Sheridan College.  His ancestors, High Backbone, Hump, and Crazy Horse were participants in the Fetterman and Wagon Box battles near Fort Phil Kearny.  Jacob and Trey reported to me that they enjoyed Donovin’s visit and valued the historical knowledge he imparted.   Dave made concerted efforts with numerous trips to Little Bighorn College to visit with Crow elders about serving as mentors at the Medicine Wheel. Dave also reached out to members of the Medicine Wheel Alliance and Medicine Wheel Coalition regarding the mentoring position.  Due to a variety of reasons including ceremonial commitments of key contacts, we were unable to fill that position, although Jacob let Dave know that he did receive council from elders of knowledge during unplanned encounters on his trips home on weekends.  We will renew efforts this coming year to fill this mentoring position at the Medicine Wheel I for the 2024 program.  We will increase the mentor daily stipend and reduce the requested number of visits as part of this effort.

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Trey presented at two evening star party events at Fort Phil Kearny. He relayed Cheyenne star stories including the seven brothers and sister story which relates to what many of us know as the Big Dipper constellation.   Over 50 visitors attended Treys programs at the Fort.  After the first program many visitors asked when trey would be making his next presentation. He was also a welcoming presence at the Fort, greeting visitors, sharing Cheyenne cultural history, and aiding the state staff in visitor center and gift store operations.   His big smile became his calling card.  Trey and Dave McKee received a special invitation to present a program on the Bozeman trail and Cheyenne culture at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne in July. As part of the museum Archive Speakers’ series.  Dave and Trey present their programs to 18 members of the audience and a large virtual audience as well.  At the end of his tenure Trey was removed from the program. He has since enrolled in class for the fall semester at Chief Dull Knife College and has stayed in contact with staff at the Fort.

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In late July Jacob Brien moved to the Fort from the Medicine Wheel to begin his tour.  Jacob presented two evening programs. His first program centered on the Cow (Apsa’aloke) language as he provided Apsa’aloke place names for Cloud Peak, the Big Horn Mountains, Goose Creek, Sheridan, Wyoming, and other well-known locations. He challenged the audience to pronounce the names.  He also performed Crow songs and encouraged the Audience to participate by doing the “two-step” dance in accompaniment to his songs.  For his second August program, Jacob presented a history overview of Crow scouts who served the U.S military during the 1870’s, sharing perspective on why the Apsa’aloke allied themselves this the U.S. government. As a special treat Jacob and four of his friends from Lodge Grass, Montanna demonstrated the Crow hand game, which involves an animated and competitive series of hand signals and sleight of hand movements, as teams vie to guess which hands the game pieces are hidden in. The audience was delighted with the demonstration. Over 50 visitors attended Jacobs’ first program and 71 visitors attended the second program.

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In summary, the public presentations presented by Trey and Jacob at Fort Phil Kearny on Thursday evenings were well attended by audiences numbering between 50 and 70 attendees for each program including family members from Montana. Sheridan Media covered all for events and produces articles with video clips of each.

 

Postscript:

On October 7, 2023, Dave McKee and Jacob Brien participated, at the invitation of the Bighorn National Forest, in a zoom meeting with a contingent of Brazilian Government Indigenous program managers, interpretive specialists, and Brazilian National Forest and National Parks program managers. Dave presented an overview of the Student Interpreter Program and history of the Medicine Wheel and Fort Phil Kearny with photos of Trey and Jacob presenting interpretive programs. Jacob shared his experiences working at the Medicine Wheel and Fort Phil Kearny. He then spent an hour answering questions about Crow culture and history.  The highlight of the meeting was Jacob and an Indigenous Brazilian man each singing a traditional tribal song.  The Brazilian contingent gave us very positive reviews and suggested they should invite us to their country to share our program ideas with their government. Specifically, how to engage, mentor, and provide opportunities for indigenous voices to be present at their significant cultural sites and parks.

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We look forward to continuing efforts to provide opportunities for American Indian College students and provide additional educational and entertaining programs on American Indian culture and history to our communities and site visitors.