In 2023, the Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province entrusted their vast archives to The History Museum & Research Center as an act of healing, transparency, and trust.

This collection, now accessible to Tribal Nations, descendants, and scholars, is the heart of this exhibition.

St. Peter's Mission in Cascade County was Montana's only off-reservation, Catholic, Native American boarding school. Through letters, diaries, ledgers, and photographs, handwritten and preserved by the Sisters for over a century, this exhibition honors the children, their families, and those who cared for them.

These records witness joy and hardship, loss and resilience — and illuminate one of the most transformative and devastating eras in central Montana's history: the Boarding School Era.

Join us Friday, August 21 at 6:00pm for a special opening reception at The History Museum & Research Center with light refreshments, entertainment, and a presentation by James Grant (Little Shell Chippewa), curator of the exhibition.

Learn more about the Ursuline Western Province archives here