Arlee, MT

Arlee is a Jocko Valley community on the Flathead Reservation, named for the Salish leader Arlee. The spelling is its own small piece of local history: the Salish alphabet has no r, so the chief’s name was Alee. The town’s map runs with the Jocko River, while the annual Arlee Esyapqeyni pow wow brings a summer cultural gathering to the calendar. Nkwusm Salish Immersion School teaches the language, and Arlee Joint School District carries students from kindergarten through high school. Arlee is southern Lake County with a name rooted in Salish history, river-valley roads, and a community that keeps language and ceremony in view.