A federal court settlement approved this week will change how Chouteau County elects its county commissioners, giving Tribal voters on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation a new opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.
On December 15, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana approved a settlement in Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation v. Chouteau County, Montana. The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed in August by the Chippewa Cree Tribe and two Native voters challenging the county’s at-large voting system for county commissioners.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
Plaintiffs argued the at-large system diluted Native voting power and violated the Voting Rights Act. Native voters make up nearly one-third of Chouteau County’s voting-age population, yet they have not had representation on the Board of County Commissioners for more than a decade.
Under the settlement, the Rocky Boy’s Reservation will be placed within Chouteau County’s District One. That district will elect a single commissioner through a district-based election beginning with the June 2026 election.
Samantha Blencke, managing attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, said the agreement was reached through court-ordered mediation and replaces the county’s previous election structure.
“The settlement replaces the at-large system that previously diluted the Native vote, and it replaces it with a district-based structure,” Blencke says, “The tribe’s district will be a single member, which will allow them to have an opportunity to elect their candidate of choice, which is a very exciting, historic opportunity for them. And we’re really, really happy that the county did the right thing here.”
Blencke says the change gives the Tribe a realistic chance to have representation on the county commission for the first time in years.
“For the first time in potentially more than a decade, the tribe will have an opportunity to elect their candidate of choice and have a voice at the table,” she explains.
In a statement released following the court’s approval, Chippewa Cree Tribe Chairman Harlan Gopher Baker called the settlement a long-awaited step forward.
“We’re pleased that the county did the right thing in giving the Chippewa Cree Tribe a chance to elect a representative to the Board of Commissioners,” Baker said in the statement. “It has been more than a decade since we have had a Native voice in county politics. We look forward to being a part of this conversation.”
The plaintiffs were represented by the Native American Rights Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Voting Rights Project, and the ACLU of Montana.
Blencke says the outcome could have broader implications beyond Chouteau County.
“This is huge,” she says. “It shows that counties will do the right thing and move toward compliance with the Voting Rights Act and include minority voices where those voices make up a portion of the population. Chouteau County did that here, and we’re also looking at other counties in Montana.”
The new district map will take effect ahead of the June 2026 election. The commissioner elected under the new system is expected to take office in early 2027.
