The Parable of the Beaver

Montana is known for its beautiful wilderness. In Montana there are many different animals, from the buffalo to the beaver. Yesterday, Mr. Harry Barnes told us many stories about the wilderness around us, and its history.

Mr. Barnes started by telling us a little about his background. He is half Blackfeet and half Irish, so his childhood was spent embracing his Irish heritage to avoid be picked on by his childhood friends. However, as he got older he learned to appreciate his Native American roots. He moved onto the reservation and opened his own business, Blackfeet Construction Supply, that is Indian owned and operated

Harry Barnes

Along with telling us about himself he also told us some history of his people. He emphasized the economic history of the Blackfeet tribe. Two events in history that dramatically shifted the Blackfeet economy were the introduction of horses and the treaty with the U.S. government. The introduction of the horses made hunting much more mobile and improved performance in battle. The Blackfeet could shoot arrows from horseback. Horses also made traveling easier and more popular. The Treaty was important because every Native American received land (reservations), clothes, food, and free education.

At the conclusion of his talk he mentioned that his business' logo is a beaver. He described how the beaver modifies its own environment to suit its needs by buildings dams that slow down the flow of the water. He thinks of himself as a beaver, because his Indian-owned business (a log in the dam) slows the flow of money (water) and keeps it on the reservation. He envisions a day when more Indian-owned businesses (more logs for the dam) flourish on the reservation and keeps the cycle of community re-investment going.

Tom Ceraso Working on the First Dam

A few of us took the talk too literally and built a dam in the river behind the Mission later that day. It was pouring rain but we still worked on the dam. Many will say that we took the phrase "YOLO" a bit too far, but I think it gave us an opportunity to work together and bond. The dam isn't finished yet, but when it is, mark my word it will be sick!

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Ryan Wiederstein '14

Ryan Wiederstein '14

 

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