Charlo , Montana is located off of Highway 93 North between St . Ignatius and Ronan . The small town is named for Chief Charlo whose name was Little Claw of a Grizzly Bear Charlo ( Slem-hakkah ). He was born about 1830 , in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana . The son of Salish chief Victor , he became the tribe ’ s hereditary leader upon his father ’ s death in 1870 . For 40 years he defended Salish treaty rights against the machinations of the federal government . By the signing of the Hellgate Treaty in 1855 the United States government considered efforts to place the Salish on a reservation in the Bitterroot Valley , their ancestral homeland . In 1871 , a Presidential Order categorically directed their removal to the Flathead Reservation . The next year , an agreement , signed by sub chiefs Arlee and Adolf , to effect the removal . Although Charlo never signed the document , published versions included his mark . When Arlee led part of the tribe to the Jocko agency , Charlo and several hundred Salish followers remained in the Bitterroot .
During the 20 years of negotiations with the federal government Charlo maintained his stand on the tribe ’ s legal right to a home in the Bitterroot Valley . Finally , in 1891 — because his followers continued to suffer — Charlo reluctantly agreed to leave the Bitterroot in return for the special care of his people . For three days in October , Charlo led his Salish contingent on Montana ’ s own “ Trail of Tears ” to the Flathead Reservation . Charlo died on January 10 , 1910 , a Salish Patriot .
To the left a photograph of Ninepipes and above Charlo , Montana by S . F . Roberts
The West Old & New Page 5