DescriptionThe Bears Paw Mountains extend in a 45-mile arc between the Missouri River and Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation south of Havre. Native oral history ties the name to a lone hunter in search of deer to feed his clan. He killed a deer but, while returning to the prairie, encountered a bear. The bear held the hunter to the ground, and the hunter appealed to the Great Spirit to release him. The Great Spirit filled the heavens with lightning and thunder, striking the bear dead and severing its paw to release the hunter. Looking at Box Elder Butte, you can see the paw, and Centennial Mountain to the south resembles a reclining bear. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce surrendered to Col. Nelson Miles in the foothills of the Bears Paw Mountains in October 1877. Locals refer to the range as the Bearpaws.Other Name(s)BearpawsContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1]
