A landmark book documenting the history of Montana's Little Shell Tribe is back in print after selling out more than a decade ago, giving tribal members and readers across the region another opportunity to learn about the tribe's history and journey to federal recognition.
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First published in 2012 by the Drumlummon Institute, "The Whole Country Was... 'One Robe': The Little Shell Tribe's America" quickly became one of the most comprehensive histories ever written about the Little Shell Tribe. Demand for the book far exceeded its limited print run, making copies increasingly difficult to find. Some eventually sold online for thousands of dollars.
"Our first series, we got published, ran out really quick," said Little Shell Tribal Chairman Gerald Gray. "A lot of people purchased them. Some of the copies are going for, last I heard, like $4,000 on eBay and stuff because there's none out there."
Now, thanks to a collaboration between the Montana Historical Society Press, the Drumlummon Institute and the Little Shell Tribe, the long-awaited second edition has been released in hardcover.
Little Shell Tribal Councilwoman Aliesa Herodes said the new edition closely mirrors the original while making the book accessible once again.
"It’s Little Shell's history in one new beautiful tome," Herodes said. "They reprinted the book so we can have them available for our citizens."
Written by folklorist and historian Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, the 504-page book features more than 400 historic photographs and artworks documenting the history, culture and resilience of the Little Shell people throughout the Northern Great Plains.
The project began after the state of Montana allocated funding in 2005 to each of the state's tribal nations to publish their histories. At the time, the Little Shell Tribe was still seeking federal recognition and asked Vrooman to tell its story.
The resulting work became more than a historical record. Tribal leaders say it also documented the evidence supporting the tribe's long fight for federal recognition, which was finally achieved in 2019.
While much has changed since the book's original publication, Gray says its value remains the same.
"It's very thorough," Gray said. "And I think future generations want to really look back into history of the Little Shell and how we came about, where we come from. I think it's going to be a really good resource guide for that—for anybody really."
Gray said he has also been encouraged by the interest the new edition has received from both tribal members and the broader community.
"I was really surprised and very happy to see that there were so many people, not just Little Shell members, a lot more of the community, but the Great Falls Public Library, the Historical Society, which is really cool to see all that support for this book," he said.
For tribal leaders, the book represents far more than a collection of historical facts. They hope it will continue preserving the Little Shell Tribe's story and culture for generations to come while helping more Montanans understand the tribe's place in the state's history.
