“We’ve witnessed the best of the Blackfeet Community – strong, proud,
committed individuals who have transfixed us with their
life stories. I’ll always be touched by our time together, and grateful that
I experienced this culture.”
Stephanie Gordon, Blackfeet Reservation Volunteer
Experience life at the speed of wide open spaces.
In the high plains of northern Montana, alongside Glacier National Park, you serve as a needed and appreciated volunteer with the Blackfeet Nation. We’ve provided continuous service to the Blackfeet since 1999. In just one week, you learn about the Blackfeet history and culture while providing a genuine service to American Indian children and elders.
Volunteer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Local time in Browning:
Required Mobility Level:
Mobile
Genuine development projects to help children and adults thrive. Exceptional service-learning for families, groups and individuals.
If you like working with your hands, this is for you! You might help renovate a classroom or repair a fence, plant a community garden, paint an elder’s home, or help erect a Sun Dance lodge. Volunteers of all ages and capabilities are useful, needed and welcomed!
This is a high-energy assignment! Help supervise field trips, play and direct games, read story books, or teach a lesson on a topic of your choice. This is a tribally run summer day-camp for children five to 18, with the older kids helping to supervise the younger. Unfortunately, these children have little else to do on the reservation during the summer, and your help is greatly needed, important, and appreciated.
Do you enjoy bingo, playing cards, swapping stories, or nail polishing? Assist the activities director at the elder care center with stimulating projects and visit one-on-one with Blackfeet elders. And you can join the elder on day-trips to the local museums, parks, grocery store and casino. Or, help prepare, serve and deliver meals at the assisted living center on the reservation – cook and talk with community women.
Work with the staff of the local food bank, stocking shelves, unloading deliveries and assisting community members in selecting healthy options. You may also help at a neighborhood thrift store, sorting and organizing donations of clothing and kitchen supplies, setting up merchandise displays and helping customers.
View team leader Cindy Murray’s photo gallery here!
Be sure to select all applicable discounts. All payments tax-deductible.
Groups of 10 or more participants interested in dates not shown below should inquire with our Partnerships Department about adding exclusive dates to the schedule. Please email any inquiries to groups@globalvolunteers.org.
Global Volunteers’ service program officially begins with the Saturday evening meal and ends with the following Saturday breakfast. Please plan your flight into the Great Falls International airport (airport code GTF) before 3 pm on the Saturday your program starts. You may depart after 12 pm (noon) on the following Saturday. Your team leader will meet you within this arrival window. Please note there is no public transportation from Great Falls to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, so you must arrive before 3PM. However, you may choose to drive from home or the airport and meet your team in Browning, our host community. Whether you are flying or driving, if you are delayed, please contact us with your updated arrival plans. Your volunteer orientation materials includes directions to your team meeting place on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Volunteers on this program are lodged in Browning, the largest community and commercial center for the Blackfeet Reservation, at the local community college. Living conditions in this low-income, rural area are basic, and our volunteer accommodations likewise resemble how most local people live. In this way, you may describe the lodging as safe and comfortable “indoor camping” requiring a high degree of flexibility. Twin beds are arranged dormitory-style in 3 classrooms, separated by gender. There are no single or private rooms available at this time, however a family room is sometimes available. Rooming assignments are made based on the team make-up. The facility also has a large community room with dining tables and a couch, 2 showers, and bathrooms. Pillows, towels, sheets, and blankets are provided. Limited wi-fi is available and cell phone coverage in town is generally good.
Breakfast is self-serve at the lodging facility, with packed or provided lunch at the work sites. Evening meals are prepared by a local cook and served at the lodging facility. Food is typical American West fare – meat, potatoes, salads, and soups, or you may be served an American Indian “traditional meal” of Indian bread or Indian tacos. Vegetarian diets can be accommodated. Vegan and other restrictive diets cannot be specifically accommodated. Though some options may meet the dietary needs of those with vegan or other restrictive diets, it is recommended that these volunteers bring or plan to purchase some of their own food. Local water is safe; bottled water is available.
Your health, safety and security as a volunteer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation are our top priority. Your lodging, food and transportation are provided always with a mind to help you ensure your health, safety and security while at the work site and lodging facility. Your team leader is trained in CPR and first aid. Read more about health and safety here.
Summer days on the plains of Montana can get hot. Sunburn and dehydration can be risks, so we urge you to pack sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and a water bottle. Stray dogs may be present throughout the Blackfeet Reservation, and we encourage you not to pet them due to fleas and other potential issues. We strongly recommend you consult your physician, public health clinic and/or travel clinic for detailed travel health information, and to make sure your tetanus and other vaccinations are up to date.
In order to participate in this service program, the Blackfeet community requires at least one COVID-19 vaccination at least 2 weeks in advance. Some work projects may also require volunteers to wear a mask.
Global Volunteers’ Respiratory Viruses Policy for Service Programs in the U.S. and Abroad
Rosie Morrison leads most teams on the Blackfeet Reservation. Rosie will share insights about cultural traditions, cuisine, language lessons, must-see attractions, and more. You will be in good hands!
Rosie has a bachelor’s degree in political science with a focus on communications and has professional experience in primary education, tourism, customer service, and management. She has traveled to 15 countries worldwide and throughout the United States. Rosie lives local to our Montana program – residing in East Glacier.
Read more about Rosie Morrison – her job, her family, her passions.
“Very understanding, open, and patient, wants the best experience for those served and volunteers.” ~ Luke Forsberg, Montana Volunteer
“Rosie was communicative, upbeat, proactive, flexible and a delight to work with.” ~ Christina Frazier, Montana Volunteer
“Rosie is wonderful, she is thoughtful and kept everything moving smoothly.” ~ Terri Snyder, Montana Volunteer
Ample time is provided after the workday to enjoy local natural and cultural activities on and around the Blackfeet Indian Reservation – which include museum visits, hiking local trails, horseback riding, golfing, fishing, souvenir shopping, casino gaming, and participating in community events and celebrations. Depending on the week, volunteers can often attend traditional sweat lodges, Sun Dance ceremonies, pow-wows, and rodeos. Due to Global Volunteers’ status as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, our team leaders cannot make free-time arrangements for you, but they can provide plenty of information about the activities explored and enjoyed by previous teams. Free-time arrangements, transportation, and costs are ultimately the responsibility of the volunteer.
Serving on the reservation is a most unique and fulfilling family opportunity. Young children can participate in community work projects, team meetings and free time, but always under the direct supervision of their parent or guardian. Please click here for minimum age requirements. Most non-Indians in the U.S. never have the opportunity to experience “rez life” personally. As Global Volunteers, you and your children are acquainted with the cultural differences and similarities between Native Americans and Non-Indians, and gain respect for those living within the limitations of economic poverty. Stereotypes are dispelled, assumptions are challenged, friendships are made. You’re exposed to the Blackfeet language, traditions and legacy of the early American settlers in Indian territory.
Each day, you provide a needed service – be it serving reduced-cost meals to senior residents, painting or refurbishing community buildings, landscaping public areas, supervising and entertaining children, or visiting with elders in the Blackfeet care center. Together with your teammates, you explore what it’s like to live in wide-open spaces, practice customs passed down through generations, attend to the natural rhythms of earth, wind and sky, and listen to the wisdom of the Great Spirit.
Service programs are conveniently scheduled during summer break from school. Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their child volunteers at all times, and collaborate with our team leader and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone. In this way, youth form a rare, personal perspective of this unique culture beyond textbook depictions and legends. What’s more, they may gain life-long friends in one of the country’s least-understood populations.
Parents and legal guardians of minors – under age 18 – must complete a Minor Registration and travel with their children. Children 15 and under must work closely with their parent or legal guardian on family service projects.
OR
| Country | Community | Min Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Xi'an | 10 | |
| Cook Islands | Rarotonga | 8 | |
| Cuba | Havana | 12 | |
| Greece | Maleviziou, Island of Crete | 12 | |
| Greece | Maleviziou, Island of Crete | 6 | English Camp (June through August) |
| Italy | Castelvetrano, Sicily | 12 | |
| Italy | Castelvetrano, Sicily | 10 | Summer Camp (June through July) |
| Italy | Castelvetrano, Sicily | 10 | |
| Malaysia | Johor Bahru | 7 | |
| Montana | Blackfeet Reservation | 8 | *15 for High School Groups |
| Montana | Blackfeet Reservation | 8 | |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | 10 | |
| Peru | Lima | 7 | |
| Poland | Reymontowka - School Year Program | 6 | |
| Poland | Reymontowka - Language Camp Led by Ukrainian Team Leader | 6 | |
| Poland | Siedlce - Polish-Ukrainian Summer Program | 6 | |
| Puerto Rico | Aguada | 10 | |
| St. Lucia | Anse La Raye | 8 | * Preschool. 13 for Primary School |
| St. Lucia | Anse La Raye | 11 | Summer School (July through August) |
| St. Lucia | Anse La Raye | 8 | |
| Tanzania | Ipalamwa Area | 10 | (Jan through May) |
| Tanzania | Ipalamwa Area | 13 | |
| Tanzania | Ipalamwa Area | 10 | (July through Nov) |
| Texas | San Juan | 12 | |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | 8 | Summer Camp |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | 15 |
Many student and corporate groups have volunteered with Global Volunteers to learn first-hand about Blackfeet Culture and to strengthen their commitment to community service and teamwork. Because of the wide variety of volunteer projects with the Blackfeet Nation, every member of your group can fully engage their unique skills and interests in meaningful service. We work with you to customize your program to learn about each other in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team. With advanced preparation, you can be certain that your unique contributions on genuine development projects optimize your volunteering.
For instance, members of a worldwide healthcare consulting company united on the Blackfeet Reservation for a week of collegiality and service. Employees who knew of each other only through the company directory planted gardens, painted fences and rode horseback together. A residential program for high school students select team members each summer to serve and learn with the Blackfeet people and to gain self-esteem through teamwork. Other student groups return year after year to learn about Blackfeet history, language, culture and modern life in a decidedly “non-tourist” manner.
Working with local teens, tribal leaders, elders and children, you gain a rare, “insider” perspective of daily life on on Indian Reservation. Comparing notes with your teammates at the end of the day around the campfire, you reflect on the experience of volunteering together and experiencing the American Indian culture as you live it.
Volunteering on an American Indian Reservation for high school and college groups
Read details on group volunteering:
“The volunteers bring their skills, insights, and helping hands to the reservation. But, most important, they bring friendship, curiosity, and compassion. We work together to close the gap of understanding between the Indian and White cultures, and it’s very good.”
“They’re a hard-working group – those Global Volunteers. We really appreciate everything they do for us. But it’s not all work all day. We have some good times, too. They know how to laugh and joke as much as we do. Global Volunteers is part of our community.”
“The ladies at the front desk at the community college taught us how to say “white woman” in the Blackfeet language – Napi Anki (Na bee ah gee) and “white man” – Napi Kaan (Napigwan). They were patient, and sincerely interested in sharing their language.”
“One small gesture followed by another and another- eventually a basis for trust and understanding. The combined and incremental efforts of all Global Volunteers over time truly makes the lasting difference.”
“We certainly had an exposure to American Indian culture and community which I could not have experienced without all the bridges built by Global Volunteers. I was deeply impressed by the matched labor approach. I know we’ll be back.”
“After this program I have a profound sense of needing to make the world better. In my busy life, I miss opportunities to help people. I think, holy smokes, I’m so lucky. Through volunteering, you kinda get disrupted (in a good way).”
