The Division of Fire officials want to update the public on the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes fire danger.  The Flathead Indian Reservations fire danger is at High.  Debris burning by permit is CLOSED for the fire season.  Although no restrictions are in place at this time, the extended forecast calls for temperatures in the high 80s, vegetation is beginning to cure.  This type of fine, dead fuel is the primary carrier of fire in the wildland, and when fires get established in this fuel type they can quickly spread out of control. The Division of Fire would like to stress to the public the importance of fire safety while out working and recreating in the outdoors. The Flathead Indian Reservation is currently in High fire danger. Please do your part to ensure there is One Less Spark as a result of your outdoor activities in the heat of the afternoon.  If a small fire becomes a full-blown forest fire, it could lead to arson charges, fines and even the bill for all fire-caused costs. Tremendous effort goes into preventive programs and information campaigns. Division of Fire officials want to stop human caused fires during this fire season If you witness any suspicious acts or abandoning campfires please contact your local police or call 1-800-47-ARSON.  It is an anonymous call and your identity will remain confidential. You may also go online to www.wetip.com.  Rewards go up to $10,000. Let’s work together to keep our wild land areas safe and protected. For any questions call The Division of Fire at 406.676.2550

PABLO, MT – For the first time, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are making publicly available the award-winning film, In the Spirit of ʔAtatíc̓eʔ: The Untold Story of the National Bison Range.  The general public will now be able to access the film by either going to the Tribe’s website (www.cskt.org), where a link to the film is currently featured on the homepage, or by doing a Google search, or by using this link: There are three other short videos including a movie trailer, a brief history of the National Bison Range and a short about the importance buffalo’s importance. To see all links, go to www.cskt.org and under the MORE pulldown menu will be a VIDEOS link that leads to all four videos. Here is a link to the movie. http://csktribes.org/more/videos/in-the-spirit-of-atatice/in-the-spirit-of-atatice “After fielding a lot of questions about how and when people can see the film, the Tribes are happy to share it with the public,” said Robert McDonald, the Tribes’ Communications Director.  “While this is the Tribes’ history, it is also everyone’s history.” As families gather for the Fourth of July, they can now watch the film, which had previously only been shown at select events and film festivals, at their convenience.  Anyone with a phone, a device hooked to wifi, or a computer with internet access may view the 28-minute film. “In the Spirit of ʔAtatíc̓eʔ” shares the true story, long told by Tribal elders but not widely shared until now, of how buffalo first came to the Flathead Indian Reservation. Audiences will learn how the unthinkable came to pass in the nineteenth century as buffalo, slaughtered to the edge of extinction, began to fade from the landscape until a Ql̓ispé (Pend d ’Oreille) man named ʔAtatíc̓eʔ (Falcon Robe) and his son Ɫatatí (Little Falcon Robe) helped the bison survive by bringing buffalo calves over the Continental Divide and starting a herd on the Reservation. In the face of devastation, these men did what they could and made a world of difference for us all. The film depicts the Salish, Ql̓ispé and Kootenai peoples’ ongoing struggles, against the backdrop of seismic disruptions to their communities and cultures, to prevail in their efforts to care for the buffalo. Using a cross-section of Tribal members to relate their history, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and filmmaker Daniel Glick produced the film to unveil a narrative that continues to reverberate today. The film was produced in 2018 and was screened earlier this year at the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest, as well as being an Official Selection for the 2019 International Wildlife Film Festival, and winning the Audience Choice award at the 2019 Bigfork Independent Film Festival.  The Tribes also hosted screenings in Pablo, Missoula, Helena, and Washington, D.C.   Contact: Robert McDonaldCommunications DirectorConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes(406) 675-2700 ext. 1222robert.mcdonald@cskt.org