You can boondock on many of the town’s streets, except for the center core of town. One good spot is near this inn, and another good spot is by the base of the gondola lift.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PsX8VyXUUcNjhahc6
Pronunciation of Gros Ventre
The name “Gros Ventre” is pronounced as “Grow Vaunt” in English, derived from the French term meaning “big belly.” The French pronunciation is approximately [ɡʁo vɑ̃tʁ]. The name was likely a misinterpretation by French trappers of Plains Indian sign language, possibly referring to a gesture or confusion with another tribe like the Hidatsa, also called Gros Ventre. The Gros Ventre people call themselves A’aninin or Aaniiih, meaning “White Clay People.”
Geologic History of Gros Ventre
The Gros Ventre region, particularly the Gros Ventre Range in western Wyoming, has a complex geologic history tied to the formation of the Rocky Mountains and subsequent tectonic and environmental processes:
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Cambrian Period (541–485 million years ago): The Gros Ventre Formation, a significant geologic unit in the region, was deposited during the Middle Cambrian. It consists of greenish and gray calcareous shales, gray striped conglomeratic and oolitic limestones, and is divided into three members in some areas: the Wolsey Shale (base), Death Canyon Limestone (middle), and Park Shale (top). This formation overlies the Flathead Sandstone and underlies the Gallatin Limestone or Dunoir Limestone. Fossils from the Middle Cambrian (Albertan age) are found within it, indicating a marine environment at the time. The formation’s thickness varies, reaching up to 796 feet in areas like Doubletop Peak in the Gros Ventre Range.
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Laramide Orogeny (80–35 million years ago): The Gros Ventre Range formed during this mountain-building event, which uplifted much of the Rocky Mountains. The range’s rounded peaks and gentle slopes contrast with the younger, more rugged Teton Range, giving it a “primeval quality.”
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Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago to present): Erosion and glaciation shaped the modern landscape. Landslides have been significant, with a notable event in 1925 when a massive landslide on Sheep Mountain in the Gros Ventre Wilderness dumped 50 million cubic yards of debris, damming the Gros Ventre River and forming Lower Slide Lake. A flood in 1927 partially destroyed this dam, devastating the town of Kelly. This slide area is now a National Geological Area.
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Modern Features: The Gros Ventre Wilderness hosts diverse plant communities shaped by past fires, including meadows, aspen, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, spruce-fir, and whitebark pine forests, as well as alpine tundra at higher elevations. The region’s geology supports a variety of ecosystems, from wet sedge meadows to rocky alpine zones.
Human History of Gros Ventre
The human history of the Gros Ventre encompasses both the Gros Ventre (A’aninin) people and the broader use of the Gros Ventre region by various groups:
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Prehistoric Period (10,000+ years ago): Archaeological evidence in the Gros Ventre Wilderness indicates human presence for over 10,000 years. Small bands of Indigenous peoples moved into the Jackson Hole area each spring, hunting game in the mountains during summer. Vision quest sites and wickiups (temporary shelters) are among the remnants found.
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Gros Ventre People (A’aninin):
- Origins: The Gros Ventre, an Algonquian-speaking tribe, were originally part of a larger group with the Arapaho, living in the western Great Lakes region about 3,000 years ago. They practiced agriculture, cultivating maize, in what is now Minnesota and Manitoba.
- Migration and Split: By the early 18th century, pressure from the Ojibwe forced the group westward. Around 1700, near Devil’s Lake (likely in North Dakota), the Gros Ventre and Arapaho split into separate tribes. The Gros Ventre migrated to the northern Plains, including present-day Montana and southern Canada, while the Arapaho moved south to Wyoming and Colorado. The Gros Ventre were closely associated with the Cheyenne during this period.
- Lifestyle: After acquiring horses in the mid-18th century, the Gros Ventre became nomadic buffalo hunters, relying on bison for food, clothing, and tipi covers. They were organized into 12 bands, each led by a chief chosen for war prowess. Women gathered berries, fruits, and roots, and marriages were arranged young but often delayed until girls were about 20.
- European Contact: The earliest recorded contact with Europeans was around 1754 near the Saskatchewan River. Smallpox, introduced by traders, decimated the population. By 1793, the Gros Ventre, facing attacks from well-armed Cree and Assiniboine, burned two Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts in retaliation.
- 19th Century: In 1806, Lewis and Clark noted two Gros Ventre groups: the northern “Fall Indians” (2,500 people, 260 tipis) on the Upper Saskatchewan River, and the southern “Staetan” tribe (400 people, 40 tipis) near the Northern Arapaho. In 1832, German explorer Prince Maximilian and painter Karl Bodmer documented their encounters with the Gros Ventre near the Missouri River. The Gros Ventre later joined the Blackfoot Confederacy and moved to north-central Montana.
- Treaties and Reservation: In 1855, the Gros Ventre signed a treaty with the U.S. as part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, establishing a common hunting ground. By 1888, they were relocated to the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana, where they now share land with the Assiniboine, their former enemies. Today, the Fort Belknap Indian Community has about 7,000 enrolled members, including 4,000 Gros Ventre.
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Euro-American Use of Gros Ventre Region:
- 19th Century: In the 1800s, the Gros Ventre Wilderness was used by fur trappers and hunters, leaving behind old cabins from the “elk tuck” era. Cattle and sheep grazing became prevalent, with range cabins and drift fences still visible.
- 20th Century to Present: Recreation now dominates, with approximately 250 miles of trails in the Gros Ventre Wilderness supporting hiking, hunting, and outfitting. The area remains less visited than the nearby Tetons, preserving its rugged, primeval character.
Summary
The Gros Ventre region’s geologic history spans from Cambrian marine deposits to modern landslides, shaping a diverse landscape. The Gros Ventre people, originally tied to the Arapaho, migrated from the Great Lakes to Montana, adopting a nomadic lifestyle before settling on the Fort Belknap Reservation. The name “Gros Ventre” (“Grow Vaunt”) reflects a French misinterpretation, while the people’s self-name, A’aninin, honors their connection to white clay. The region’s human history, from ancient Indigenous use to modern recreation, complements its ancient geologic story.