Browning (Whitefish, Polson, Ronan: real estate, condo, mobile home)

[Reziac]

Re the "Welcome to Cut Bank. Now go home" thing ...

In most of Rural/Village-Anywhere-In-The-World, it does take years (sometimes generations) to be *completely* accepted as "one of us". But nowhere in MT was I ever made to feel like the locals wanted me to *leave*.

By contrast, back in 1979 I was in Kimball, Nebraska (population 200) for a week or so on business... one morning the local sheriff told me that as soon as I was done with my business, he wanted me to leave town. Mind you I hadn't done one single thing to earn this, I was just an outsider and that's all it took.

[snugglebump]

Hi Everyone(:

I don't know how I stumbled on this site but i'm going to make sure I bookmark it so I don't loose ya'll! LOL I'm from Seattle but my Mother is from Browning and a full blooded Blackfeet. She has lived off of the Reservation for many years, married and raising my brother and myself but has managed to make visits often each year to her family. I go with her as often as I can but sometimes my pet parakeets prevent me from making the trip. I'm really excited that this summer, june or july we will be moving to Browning as soon as we find a rental and might have to look in Cut Bank but either way I am really excited. I have always lived in Seattle all my life and the cost of living is so high here and the crime is getting really bad here, we are more than ready to move. I do plan on going back to school and was thinking about starting in Great Falls once we get settled in Browning. If not there maybe Missoula but i'll have a few months to figure it out.
I have read all the posts, about umm 7 pages of them, negative and positive about Browning. Some, made me a little sad and others, well made me smile. What I do know is the People are some of the nicest, caring people I have ever met. I am half white and half native and have always been a bit of a stranger to Browning but I have always been treated good when i've gone. I have gased up at the 2 gas stations there in town, late at night and I had no problem nor was I afraid for my safety. Here in Seattle, there are a lot of places, I wouldn't even want to drive through much less get out LOL, Browning is nothing. I did noticed the Males were awfully friendly to me but were always gentleman, did make me blush a wee bit hehe. I guess that would be the only uncomfy times I can recall.
As far as the Town goes, there is a grocery store that is unbelievable cheap on food and meat, Seattle is so high! There's a couple 24 hour gas station/marts that are clean and nice and look just like what we have here in Seattle. One of them is a Circle K and the other I forget. Theres a handful of motels, the waterbonnet and the western but the others I wouldnt stay in if you payed me LOL. A Ben Franklin store is also there, a library, a postal office, there used to be a mercantil type store but i'm not sure if it's still there. Too bad because I used to go there for the cutest screen printed tshirts and got them in a really huge size, looked like I was a midget in a big giant mans tshirt LOL. They had sove lovely Native American pictures on them. But that store mainly sold Mens and Womens clothes but was a really cute small shop. Then there's the Federal buildling and the Tribal office and other tribal offices are scattered around town. Most you'll see in Browning are the houses, oh yea, and the Blackfeet Hospital. There is now a Town Transit that picks up people to go wherever they need to go too but you have to call them to pick you up. It's not like here in Seattle how we have bus stops LOL. But at least they have some transportation if you don't have a way to get around in town.
There's a highschool in town and a junior high and elementary and they look just like my schools I went too here in Seattle. The newer parts of the Community College I haven't seen yet, just pictures online but it seems to be looking really lovely. The Museum is pretty cool, I like to go there each time I visit and buy some Native beadwork in their gift shop. Anways, I'll paste some websites below if you care to explore them, hehe.
Well, I don't know what else to ramble about, I just am happy I found a site like this. I must say I have been a bit nervous about the move, it's a big thing! I have lived all my life here in Seattle and to be moving to my Mom's home town and to be going to school in another state is all so exciting.
The one who is planning to move to Browning, you are going to love the scenary and the fresh air and the stars at night! It's sooooooo breathtakingly gorgeous! When I was a child, I would cry each time we would have to leave Browning and drive home to Seattle. At night, i'd dream of the beauty and of the town. I guess that's why my Mother has always told us stories about the Doctors and Nurses of non-native decent, who would come to Browning to work and they ended up buying houses and retired there. The place is truly God's country. Once, I'm out of school, I do plan on putting a house up on our land somewhere in the country and having horses. I soooo can't wait!
I think I need to stop rambling! LOL I hope anything I said might have been helpful. I'll check back here often and if you care to chat with me, i'm a regular on a christian website. I'll paste that site below too.
God bless,
Snugglebump
Seattle, WA

P.S. Here's some sites......

Christian Chat Network <------I'm there often hehe
Golden Triangle News Source :: Cut Bank Pioneer | Glacier Reporter | Shelby Promoter | The Valierian <-----If you're looking for a rental in Browning or CutBank
www.BlackfeetNation.com<----Here's the Tribes website(:
Blackfeet Community College <-----This is the Blackfeet Community College
Welcome to Blackfeet Country ~ Browning Montana ~ Glacier National Park <---There's the Towns website with piccies

[jimj]

Originally Posted by NYMTman

Browning has the distinction of holding the record for largest 24 hour temperature change in the world. From 40 degrees down to 60 below zero. 100 degree temp change... not bad.

Anyway, winter temperatures average 25 for the high, 6 for the low. Which is cold even by MT standards.

Don't forget the WIND!!!!!!

[snugglebump]

Hi(:
Im from Seattle but my Mother is from Browning and is a full blooded Blackfeet. The town is a sleepy town and unless you have family or friends there, you might get a tad bored lol. There's a grocery store, ben franklin, a couple 24 hour gas station marts, I believe one is a circleK. A few motels, used to have a subway but I think that's either for sale or closed. There's a library, postal office, various tribal offices scattered around town along with a federal building and the tribal building. The Blackfeet Cc has grown over the years as they've been building onto it and there's the musuem.
Now the next town over, a little drive is Cut Bank and there's a movie theatre there, mcdonalds and a pizza hut and I believe a Albertsons grocery store. There's also a small Jc Penneys store there and a cafe with some strange locals that sit and stare at all non cut bankers but I think you get that in all small towns LOL. I've been going back and forth to Cut Bank and Montana, and I've always been treated well. Both are lovely little towns. I would gas up in Browning late at night and no one bothers me and im half white and native and have blonde hair LOL. Now I can't say i'd gas up in parts of Seattle much less get out of the car, Browning is nothing.
The People are lovely too in Browning. Once you get to know the Blackfeet, they welcome you into their homes like you are part of their family. Most of my family are all college educated, everyone encourages their children to go to school and get their bachelors or further to better themselves. Drinking alcohol is looked down upon and most of the Blackfeet are Christians. But as in any community, there will be young people who choose to rebel and go out partying behind their parents backs. Such is the case in Browning but they eventually break out of that stage or their parents catch them and slap them around with moldy biscuits LOL.

God bless,

SnuggleBump
Seattle, Wa(:

[jimj]

Which one of the police departments was taken over by the Feds for corruption a few years ago? Was it Browning or Cut Bank? All I heard was the whole force was thrown out and that it was very,very bad.....

[bigskydreaming]

I'm considering a move to Browning, for a job in social services working with the native people there and in the surrounding area.

I've moved a few times in the last few years (I'm an itinerant legal advocate) and have used these forums to get a feel for a place that I didn't have the ability to visit before relocating to.

About some of the comments here:

Racism: Why wouldn't Native Americans be racist toward whites, at least intitially? Most of them experience the same thing! I think more white Americans should have the opportunity to live as a minority among people of color who have been historically oppressed; it might help many of us to have greater sensitivity to the issue.

Weather: Most of the posts here decrying the extreme weather conditions, aren't supported by the data provided on the website concerning average temperatures, wind speeds, etc. I think some people have a tendency to focus on the negative rare weather occurrences rather than honestly depicting the norm.

Rentals: I've been researching for only a week and have found PLENTIFUL cheap rental housing in Browning and the surrounding area. Somebody here posted there is practically nothing available. What gives? From where I sit, $325/mo. + utilities for an apartment or small house is an incredible bargain!

I think that some folks are simply of the variety, "the grass is always greener"; they are always able to focus on the negatives about a place and always convinced that someplace else is going to be oh so much better. Since I've moved around quite a bit in the past 10 years (all over this country, in fact), I can attest that every place has problems and every place has beauty to be found; happiness is, after all, only truly found within, no matter where you rest your head!

I've love to hear from the young lady who moved to Browning from Virginia; how are you settling in and are you liking it there?

Cheers,
bigskydreaming

[jimj]

BROWNING - A new newspaper is hitting the streets of Browning, and the publisher says it's a sure bet his reporters will be vigorous watchdogs of tribal government.

The first likely headlines: "Residents rally against corruption," and "Man jailed for death threat."

Moderator cut: copyright

[Sunset_Va]

Just wondering if VirginiaGirl made her move. Its been interesting reading about Browning in this thread on Montana, never figured such a small town would generate such postings.

VirginiaGirl, another Virginian is checking on you...maybe I will move to Whitefish...good luck to you and let us know.

Anyone describe Whitefish? I know I passed through there on Amtrak last summer...

[NYMTman]

Whitefish - a hell of a lot nicer than Browning

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Sunset_Va

Just wondering if VirginiaGirl made her move. Its been interesting reading about Browning in this thread on Montana, never figured such a small town would generate such postings.

VirginiaGirl, another Virginian is checking on you...maybe I will move to Whitefish...good luck to you and let us know.

Anyone describe Whitefish? I know I passed through there on Amtrak last summer...

Whitefish is a nice city, expensive compaired to the rest of the valley, starting to be called aspenfish. Very trendy, loaded with tourists year round due to the mountain. City government is confused but trying to control growth. General attitudes there are that they are better than the rest of the valley. Big money moving in or moved in. Low crime, but that is slowly changing. Good schools, drug problems like everywehre else (cocaine,pot and alchohol according to kids that go there). I suggest you read the whitefish pilot online for local stories.