Events

Before you hit the streets- join our know your rights, protest safety, and de-escalation training.

For the first time, Montana will officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a statewide holiday on October 13, 2025, a victory years in the making. After more than a decade of advocacy, Indigenous leaders and allies successfully passed Senate Bill 224 in the 2025 legislative session. This moment honors the many distinct Indigenous nations in Montana, uplifts their resilience and resistance, and is a chance for all of us to celebrate the strength and ongoing contributions of Indigenous communities across the state. Celebrate With Your Community Indigenous Peoples' Day events will be happening across the state from October 10–13. All events below are free and open to the public. Please note: ACLU of Montana is not organizing these events, but we hope to see you there! 📍 Billings Round Dance & Vendor Show 🗓️ October 11, 2025 | 5–10 PM Billings Hotel & Convention Center Hosted by Western Native Voice 📍 Great Falls Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration 🗓️ October 10–13, 2025 Great Falls College & Heritage Hall / Paris Gibson Ed Center / Great Falls Public Library Oct 10 | 6–8 PM: First Fashion — Native American fashion show featuring Rebekah Jarvey, Brocade Black Eagle, Gina Still Smoking, and more Oct 11 | 8 AM–5 PM: 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament + Traditional Games Oct 12 | 1–6 PM: Soup & Story — Native stories, traditional games, crafts & activities Oct 13 | 4–8 PM: Guest Speakers & Fry Bread Contest — Leon Rattler, MAT; Natasha Hall; Jill Falcon Ramaker, PhD; Dr. Lanny Real Bird 📍 Missoula Beartracks Celebration Powwow 🗓️ October 13, 2025 | Grand Entry at 2 PM Caras Park, Missoula Open to the public | Free admission Dancers, vendors, food trucks, singers & drums Contact: Martin Charlo — martin.charlo@cskt.org | 406-274-6892 Hosted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes 📍 Black Eagle Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration 🗓️ October 12, 2025 | 6–9 PM Black Eagle Community Center

Lone Peak Film Festival champions inspiring stories, builds community, offers mentorship, and supports local and Indigenous filmmakers, all to spark positive change and catalyze action. By offering stories of kindness, perseverance, resilience and positive action in the face of injustice or adverse circumstances, the festival creates spaces where people can come together and honor the goodness in humanity and build a nurturing community. It will be a counterweight to the relentless negativity of the mass media, offering compelling and well crafted stories that entertain as much as they move and inspire. By bringing these stories to a place like Big Sky, the festival hopes to connect the filmmakers, and the perspectives they provide, with people who can help them build their careers and expand the social impact of their films, all while creating an event that will be entertaining and will bring the community of Big Sky together. The festival aims to create opportunities for the sparks of hope offered in these stories to be fanned into flames that can make a positive impact locally and across the nation.

Join ACLU of Montana's Legal Director and Deputy Director Alex Rate and others for an inclusive discussion about immigration featuring a diverse panel with local law enforcement, attorneys, civil rights experts, and the county attorney. Learn about the local government's role in serving community members, where to get help, who to talk to, and what you need to know. We will explore questions around civic participation, due process, and access to services for all members of the Bozeman community. Panelists will share their expertise through a clear, respectful exchange of information.

The Montana Two-Spirit Gathering is a retreat for Native, First Nations, and Indigenous Two Spirit people, their partners, family and friends. The Gathering provides a safe, healthy, drug and alcohol-free environment. Its purpose is to encourage all people to heal from damage wrought by racism, sexism, ageism, colonialism, ableism, transphobia, generational trauma and homophobia and the negative impacts these have on health, as well as acknowledge and celebrate Indigenous heritages and cultural traditions. WHEN: August 14th-17th, 2025 Check in opens on the 14th. The Gathering ends on Saturday, August 16th, although attendees are welcomed to stay until Sunday if needed; checkout is on Sunday, August 17th, at noon. WHERE: Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp. If flying in look into Montana, look into flying to Kalispell (FCA). If you need a ride from the airport, reach out to the Gathering at mttwospiritsociety@gmail.com WHO: Indigenous First Nations People, Two-Spirit Peoples and their Families. Not Indigenous or two-spirit? The Gathering welcomes non-natives peoples who are sponsored by a native two-spirit individual. Curious about the Gathering? Have questions about Elder etiquette? Want to know what to bring? Any other questions? Email the organizers at mttwospiritsociety@gmail.com