Daines Commemorates Native American Heritage Month on Senate Floor, Celebrates Rich Legacy of Montana’s Tribes

• November 10, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to commemorate Native American Heritage Month and his memories from working with Montana's tribes.

Watch the full speech HERE.

Daines' remarks as prepared for delivery:

This month is Native American Heritage Month.

It's been a meaningful tradition of mine for the last 14 years to celebrate the rich legacy of Montana's tribes, and this month is particularly meaningful as I close out my time in the U.S. Senate.

My interest in Montana's tribes began at a young age. I grew up in the Gallatin Valley- I'm a graduate of Longfellow Elementary & a proud Bozeman Hawk.

And as a child, I lived two doors down from a member of the Crow Tribe, who was a Code Talker during World War 2.

His name was Barney Old Coyote, and he was an American hero. Barney served our country during World War 2 by speaking the Crow language in a national "code talk" program. The beautiful complexity of the Crow language allowed it to be used to transmit and receive military intelligence without fear of being intercepted.

Because of Barney and his fellow "Code Talkers," countless communications were securely sent overseas, and many American lives saved.

In 2015, Barney Old Coyote was awarded Congress' most prestigious honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, along with fellow Crow Code Talkers Samson Birdinground, Cyril Not Afraid, and Henry Old Coyote.

And fun fact, I attended grade school with Rachel Old Coyote, the cousin of Darrin Old Coyote, who was Chairman of the Crow Tribe.

So you see, my roots here run deep.

Today, I'd like to reflect on memories from working with Montana's tribes, from the wins we've had over the years to priorities I hope my successors will continue after my departure.

Montana is home to many tribes, including Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, Gros Ventres, Salish, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, Little Shell, Sioux, Chippewa, and Cree.

When I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, there were only 11 federally recognized tribes. I made it a priority to introduce the "Little Shell of the Chippewa Indians Restoration Act," which granted federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe.

In 2019, after years of work, my bill passed and the Little Shell were finally granted the recognition they deserved.

Today we are the home of 12 federally recognized tribes, spread across seven reservations, from Fort Peck in the East to the Flathead in the west.

It's been my honor to visit each reservation and my priority to meet regularly with tribal leaders and members, both in Montana and D.C., and work closely together to improve the quality of life in Indian Country- from health care and education to resource development and increasing law and order.

Each one of these communities has helped weave together a rich tapestry of culture that shaped Montana into the place it is today.

The Battle of Little Bighorn, one of the most significant battles in Montana history, is one such example. This year we commemorated its 150th anniversary.

The battle marked a pivotal moment in the Great Sioux War and the American Indian Wars. It was my honor to pass a resolution commemorating and honoring all those who fought, so that future generations understand and appreciate the enduring spirit of our tribes.

Another example is the legacy of Blackie Wetzel, who was a fierce champion of his people, a former President of the National Congress of American Indians, who advocated for tribes, including in the oval office with JFK.

In 1971, Blackie worked with Coach George Allen to create the iconic logo that became a powerful symbol of leadership and excellence during Washington's three Super Bowl victories.

Reflecting back in 2002, Blackie Wetzel proclaimed, "It made us all so proud to have an Indian on a big-time team."

After the franchise lost its popular brand in 2020, Blackie's son, Don Wetzel, met with me to share how important the logo remained to him, his family, and many in Indian Country. He wanted to use the logo for the good of Native Americans, especially to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

But instead the logo was censored by even the NFL and on official merchandise.

Since then, I'm proud to say that the League and Team have taken steps to restore the logo to a place of honor and prominence.

This same Warrior-like spirit is demonstrated through a compelling fact that many don't know: Native Americans serve in the military at the highest rate of any group. They are patriotic, courageous Americans who serve our country in uniform with distinction and pride.

As an example of that heritage, in 2020 I was honored to join a special ceremony renaming the Billings VA Outpatient Clinic in memory of Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, a proud War World 2 veteran and Crow Nation Tribal Chief who earned a Bronze Star and was awarded the President Medal of Freedom.

During my tenure, I also fought to restore tribal rights and promote our tribal nations.

I've been a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs since the beginning of my time as a Senator. And so from the very start, I made communication and consultation with our tribes one of my top priorities.

The "Northern Cheyenne Lands Act" was one of our earliest victories and the second bill I ever got signed into law while serving in the U.S. House.

This bill corrected a 114-year-old survey error by the federal government, when they expanded the Northern Cheyenne reservation but failed to give them control over natural resources on the land.

Tribal sovereignty has always been a core issue. And while there's still work to be done, lots of progress has been made.

Our team has worked with tribal leaders from every corner of the state to address priorities, from water rights and infrastructure to investing in education and rural health care.

I prioritized settling longstanding water rights issues and bringing clean water to tribes. We were able to resolve all claims to water rights on the Blackfeet reservation and permanently settle the CSKT water dispute.

And most recently, my bills to reauthorize funding for water infrastructure in Fort Peck and modernize the Crow Tribe water settlement were signed into law by President Trump.

I also championed and signed into law the "Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act" to give tribes and the FTC tools to fight against scams targeting tribes.

We worked on countless bills to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis and scourge of drug trafficking and crime on our reservations.

From the "Savanna's Act" and the "Not Invisible Act" to my Mitigating METH Act, we made significant progress in tribal public safety.

I was also honored to lead the annual resolution bringing awareness for Montana's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

There is still work to be done.

Before I leave office, I urge my colleagues to support Montana's final Indian Water Rights Settlement and pass my bill, the "Northern Montana Water Security Act". Closing the chapter on Montana water settlements remains a top priority for my remaining weeks.

I also urge my colleagues to pass my bill, the "Crow Revenue Act," which would fix long-standing inholdings on the Crow reservation while providing certainty for the Bull Mountains Mine.

I'd like to thank all those who played a role in protecting and preserving our tribal legacy. It's been an honor to collaborate so closely with leaders of Indian nation throughout the years. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to experience the traditions and cultures of our tribes, and I'll leave office with a deep appreciation for the enduring Indian spirit.

Thank you.

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Contact: Gabby Wiggins