A herd of 70 bison can be seen on the reservation along Highway 281. A white buffalo, which has a lot of significance for the Native Americans, was gifted to the tribe in April 2021. The tribe welcomed the birth of a white buffalo calf in June 2022 as it signified a sign of hope that their prayers were being answered. Education Belcourt School District (Turtle Mountain Community School) is the local school district, jointly operated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Climate Climate conditions on the Turtle Mountain Reservation are extreme. Winters are long and cold. Average winter lows at Belcourt during December, January, and February are . Average high temperatures for the same months are . Summers are short and warm, with average high temperatures for June, July, and August at Belcourt of . Average summer low temperatures are relatively cool at Belcourt; the average low temperatures for June, July, and August are . Average precipitation at Belcourt is near . The region might be included as being in Tornado Alley. Notable residents Thomas Little Shell, resisted the McCumber agreement and was leader of Plains Ojibwe. He left his Montana home and moved to the Turtle Mountain Reservation. He died and was buried there in 1901. Leonard Peltier, a leader of the American Indian Movement, grew up here. Louise Erdrich, writer, grew up on Turtle Mountain Reservation, and is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. William Jennings Gardner, an American football player, coach, and a law enforcement agent. Keith Richotte Jr., a judge on the Turtle Mountain Court of Appeals. References External links Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians official site Turtle Mountain Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Montana/North Dakota/South Dakota United States Census Bureau copies of reservation-pertinent documents Assessment of Groundwater Quality Data for the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, Rolette County, North Dakota, 1970-2012 United States Geological Survey American Indian reservations in Montana American Indian reservations in North Dakota American Indian reservations in South Dakota Anishinaabe reservations and tribal-areas in the United States Ojibwe in the United States Native American tribes in North Dakota Native American tribes in South Dakota Native American tribes in Montana Geography of Blaine County, Montana Geography of Burke County, North Dakota Geography of Carter County, Montana Geography of Cavalier County, North Dakota Geography of Chouteau County, Montana Geography of Daniels County, Montana Geography of Divide County,