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Sam Resurrection
During the allotment of the Flathead Reservation in the early 1900s, one adamant and relentless voice was that of Sam Resurrection (1857-1941). This collection offers several available pictures of Sam, including ones where he is not credited by name. Nearly all photographs were done by renowned Missoula photographer Rollin H. McKay. In addition to photographs, this collection provides primary source documentation of his persistent efforts to remind his audiences of Salish treaty rights and the U.S. government’s broken promises.
Part I: Images of Sam
A portrait of Sam Resurrection in what appears to be later age, likely take in McKay’s studio on 120 N. Higgins Avenue (as of May 2026 the building is not in use as a public storefront).
Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu) (portrait)
The photographer of this picture is unknown but is likely a Bonner-area resident. School superintendent Jack Demmons, who served the community from 1970-1989, collected old photographs from local families. The Jack L. Demmons collection has more than 1500 Bonner-Milltown related images. Below the image, someone has typed a story of Salish hunters, including Sam, passing through Bonner and selling whitefish in 1908.
Photograph of Sam Resurrection. Photo caption reads: Chief Martintail "Sam Resurrection" he sold whitefish in gunnysacks in winter of 1908. Poker Jim also did the same. Every fall the Indians and their horses camped up the Blackfoot to hunt deer and elk. They brought the game out on travois and camped where Weimer's garage used to be.
McKay took many pictures of Sam in his career, often near bodies like Flathead Lake or the Thompson River but did not always label them with his name or location. However, Sam is wearing identical arm bands and cuffs to another image where McKay identifies his subject as Sam.
Photo: Indian, ready for dance
Indian, ready for the dance (portrait)
Here McKay labeled the subject of the photograph as Sam. Notice the arm bands and cuffs are the same from the previous image. Sam was labeled with other names in records, including Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu, Chief Martintail, and Sam Kaltomee (sometimes spelled Kaltome). In Department of Interior records, the word “Resurrection” is often misspelled.
Native American man standing near a stream, labelled as Sam; likely Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu).
Notice again the arm bands but also the distinctive headdress with what appears to be ermine fur.
Portrait of Sam Kaltomee (1857-1947), a respected Salish man, with a long pipe. He was later known as Sam Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu or in English, Sam Resurrection.
A close portrait but now Sam has a blanket over his shoulders.
Portrait of Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu). He wears a feather headdress.
Another portrait with the blanket on his lap.
An Indian Chief (Brown Collection)
Here McKay did not label by name his subject, simply saying "A Flathead" but the distinctive headdress with the ermine fur and diagonal beadwork indicate that this is likely Sam Resurrection.
A Flathead Indian leaning against a large rock wearing a feathered headdress and carrying a quiver of arrows. Inscribed on photo: 'A Flathead.'
Photo: Sam Resurrection with his pipe
Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu), sitting on the bank of a lake wearing a headdress and holding a pipe.
Sam was often photographed with earrings and fur in his braids.
Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu), a Flathead Indian, seated on a blanket.
McKay often wrote on his photos, and identifies this location as Flathead Lake.
Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu (Sam Kaltomee Resurrection) sitting in front of a rock wall of Indian drawings, near Flathead Lake, Montana. Library note: This image may have been taken at what is known today as Painted Rocks along the western shore of Flathead Lake.
This pensive shot from a different angle has the addition of two eagle feathers. In the next photographs, we see similar portraits where McKay does not identify his subject as Sam.
Portrait of Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu), seated outdoors. He wears a feather in this hair.
This portrait, from a different vantage point than the previous photograph, shows Sam sitting contemplatively as well. This photograph does not identify Sam by name, but his unique belt can be seen clearly in this picture as well as the image before it where he is identified. McKay has written the phrase “Eagle Feathers” on the photo.
Photo: An Indian wearing an eagle feather headdress
An Indian, sitting, wearing earrings and an eagle feather headdress. Inscribed on photo: 'Eagle Feathers.'
Again, McKay does not label Sam by name in this photograph, but the unique belt appears in this image as well. The original caption writer speculates that this is the Clark Fork River, but a similar photograph that is labeled “Thompson River” indicates that this is also the same body of water (see below). It is possible that this photo takes places near the Thompson and Clark Fork confluence.
Postcard titled: A Flathead Fisherman. Native American man with bow and arrow standing on a rock overlooking a river, possibly the Clark Fork River.
Here McKay has directly written on the image that this is the Thompson River but does not label it with Sam’s name. However, the fur in his braids, in addition to other implements, appear identical to previous images.
Photo: Indian kneeling by the Thompson River
Indian kneeling on a rock on the Thompson River, Montana. He is carrying a bow in a quiver.
Here again we see the distinctive headdress. McKay’s reliance on photographing Sam and calling him a “chief” near bodies of water make it probable that this is Sam, but his distance from the lens makes it more difficult to zoom in to confirm certain details.
Photo: Indian Chief at Lolo Hot Springs
Indian Chief on a large boulder at Lolo Hot Springs, Montana.
Another likely photograph of Sam.
Photo: Needle Rock at Lolo Hot Springs
Indian at Needle Rock near Lolo Hot Springs. A man sits on a rock that extends out over a body of water.
Once again, we see McKay’s subject in his headdress and holding a rifle, along with a pipe. While unlabeled, this appears to be Sam as well.
Indian in a feather headdress holding a rifle stands on top of a large rock over looking a river, likely in western Montana. Inscribed on photo: 'The Lookout.'
Sam Resurrection (Inkʷƛ̓l̓ewncu) on a rocky bank looking out over the river in Montana.
Part II: Rollin H. McKay
Rollin McKay (1878-1960) was a prolific Missoula photographer. His collection includes many aerial shots of the Missoula area, as well as other Montana locations like the Flathead Reservation. Many of his photographs are on display in Southgate Mall in Missoula. He also photographed ornate Missoula buildings, some still in existence (e.g. Eddy Bakery—now Rockin’ Rudy’s—and The Florence Hotel) and others long gone (e.g. Greenough Mansion and Edward Bonner’s house). McKay’s interest in Sam has provided us with many staged shots and close portraits, but he documented other Indigenous subjects as well.
Portrait of R. H. McKay.
This image of downtown Missoula shows the Missoula Mercantile, just north across an alley is McKay’s studio (the shorter building before the building with painted advertisement that says “Kohn Jewelry”).
Missoula, looking downtown along North Higgins Avenue. The Missoula Mercantile is in the foreground. Numerous cars and trucks are parked and driving along North Higgins. Pedestrians walk along the sidewalks and cross the street. Library note: The large hole in the ground seen on the left side of the picture was the location of the Florence Hotel which burned down on September 24, 1936.
R. H. McKay stands on a rock point above a lake with a camera on a tripod. The lake and mountains are in the background.
Photo: R.H. McKay and J.B. Halm
Looking down the Little North Fork of the Saint Joe, Shoshone County, Idaho, on the new trail cut after the fires of 1910. Rollin H. McKay (L), government photographer and Joe B. Halm (R), Forest Service employee are pictured. Saint Joe National Forest, Idaho.
This house is still standing, just one house down from Arthur Avenue and the University of Montana campus.
R. H. McKay Residence, 533 Connell Avenue, Missoula, Montana. A girl sits on the stonework bordering the steps to the front porch.
McKay’s documentation of Salish regalia, tipis, and traditions are worth pursuing in their own right. Several images, such as this one, feature women on horseback or subjects near tipis or bodies of water.
Photo: Fording the Jocko River
Indian fording the Jocko River on horseback, Montana.
Chief Charlo stands in front of tipi. He wears a headdress. Library note: This is Chief Martin Charlo, who became chief upon the death of his father, Chief Charlo, in 1910.
Photo: Indian woman and child by teepee
Indian woman and child stand by a teepee. The woman is holding a beaded cradle board.
Photo: Native American woman tanning deerskin
Native American woman tanning deerskin, Brown Collection. Hide is stretched on frame, tipi visible behind the woman.
Part III: Sam's Advocacy
This file contains letters by Sam (likely translated and transcribed by someone else) to presidents of the United States, namely Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. This file also contains several responses by acting Indian Affairs Commissioners. The file is organized somewhat backward, starting with a letter dated July 6, 1911. Sam voices his discontent with the local agent, among other reservation staff, but mostly seeks information about allotment and expresses his concern that his previous letters never reach or receive a reply from the president of the United States, who Sam had been writing for four years (these letters then appear later in the file). He indicates he has questions of “great importance” regarding the rights of tribal members of the Flathead reservation and the “opening” of the reservation.
In a response to his letter, he is addressed incorrectly as “Sam Reslection” (in other letters, sometimes his name is written as Sam Reselection) by acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs Robert Valentine. Valentine’s typed response indicates that the government has received Sam’s other letters but dismisses his concerns by referencing the “Acts of Congress directing that the surplus lands be thrown open to settlement.” Valentine ends his letter condescendingly explaining that Sam should, “look upon this as a distinct gain to the individual members of your tribe rather than a loss.”
More responses from the Office of Indian Affairs are similar to this one: dismissive, citing acts of Congress, and explaining that sales of surplus land will help the tribe.
Following Valentine’s letter we see an earlier letter dated March, 1909 addressed directly to William H. Taft. Sam opens this message with the question, “Did you receive my letter.” Sam provides a history lesson on the Hellgate Treaty of 1855, reminding Taft that they were promised their reservation “forever.” He brings up Senator Dixon saying, “And I am telling you that we never spoke to Dixon.” He also references James Garfield’s visit to the Bitterroot before he was elected president: “he said that our Reservation was to be ours for ever [sic].” Sam also references a petition with more than 200 signatures, including eight chiefs, and asks Taft to promptly respond with his thoughts.
Later in the file is an even earlier set of letters addressed to Theodore Roosevelt, where Sam criticizes the surveying of the reservation without permission and white delegates, including Dixon, “working hard to throw the reservation open,” again citing Stevens’s and Garfield’s promises.
This letter gets a response from the Office of Indian Affairs, followed by the other letters of Sam’s to Theodore Roosevelt (handwritten and typed).
More responses of the Office of Indian Affairs follow with the typical aforementioned content.
Photo: Flathead Agency, DCI 054, Year 1907, File 76667
Folder containing correspondence and documents pertaining to sale of surplus lands on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana
On page 23 of this file, there is an Anglicized spelling of Sam’s Salish name. Tribal Council minutes indicate that Sam told the tribe to hire a lawyer during a session in Dixon, MT on December 21, 1937.
Photo: Flathead Agency, DCI 054, Year 1936, File 9528-E [Part 1]
Folder containing minutes of and correspondence related to meetings of the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation and of the Credit Committee
On page 118 of this file are the minutes for a special August 10, 1940 Tribal Council meeting. The tribe is meeting with a lawyer trying to determine if they should file suit against the U.S. government.
After a few pages of minutes, the Chairman calls on Sam (page 122), where Sam talks about “jumping” Jospeh Dixon about opening the reservation in the early 1900s. Sam indicates he still has a letter from the Office of Indian Affairs and that the council can read it. Sam is adamant that the opening of the reservation was done without the tribe’s consent but does not bring up any other complaint.
Photo: Flathead Agency, DCI 054, Year 1936, File 9528-E [Part 2]
Folder containing minutes of and correspondence related to meetings of the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
Photo: Flathead Agency, DCI 313, Year 1928, File 14567
Folder containing correspondence regarding a request from Sam Resurrection for information on the allotment of certain children on the Flathead Reservation
This interesting file includes letters from John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Franklin Roosevelt and a renowned reformer whose name is often associated with the Indian Reorganization Act. There are two different groups speaking for the tribes of the Flathead Reservation, creating “confusion.”
Sam is listed as an Arlee delegate for the Flathead Tribal Council, and in a 1933 letter to Collier the tribe expresses their enthusiasm for Collier’s efforts, also notifying him that the Tribal Council has “reorganized” and is optimistic about the various delegates “working together” (page 19).
Photo: Flathead Agency, DCI 054, Year 1929, File 27570
Folder containing correspondence related to the establishment of an official representative Tribal Business Committee for the Flathead Indian Nation.
The article “Broken Promises” by Dan Conway starts on page 7 and continues on page 2. Conway writes about an encounter Sam had with President Wilson in Helena at the Marlow Theatre in 1919. Sam broke past security and shook Wilson’s hand.
It is unclear if Conway is quoting a petition or letter, or quoting words Sam spoke directly to Wilson. In the quotations, Sam cites historical figures such as Lewis and Clark and again brings up the Hellgate Treaty of 1855.
See bibliography below for more digitized newspaper references to Sam Resurrection available through the Library of Congress, including a small write up upon his death, where the author mentions the encounter with Wilson, saying Sam handed the president a petition.
Author: Dylan Huisken
Bibliography
“Colorful Western Montana Indian Dies.” The Hardin tribune-herald. (Hardin, MT), Apr. 17 1941. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn86075229/1941-04-17/ed-1/
Rollin H. McKay Photographs, Archives and Special Collections, The University of Montana-Missoula. Retrieved from https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv54381.
S&K Technologies. “The Resurrection of Sam Kaltomee.” Retrieved from https://www.sktcorp.com/the-resurrection-of-sam-kaltomee/
Yonce, Dylan. (2025). “Taking ‘God’s Country’: The University of Montana, Morton J. Elrod, and Allotment on the Flathead Reservation.” Montana The Magazine of Western History. Autumn 2025, 24-45.
Photo & Document Credits
University of Montana Mansfield Library
