Crow Indian Traditionalist/Healer and Irrigation Specialist to be inducted into Gallery of Outstanding Montanans

Join us on March 6 at the State Capitol to honor two outstanding Montanans

• Laura Marsh
• February 25 2025

Pretty Shield, an Apsáalooke (Crow) medicine woman, and I. D. O’Donnell, an agricultural leader and an irrigation advocate, will be inducted into the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans in the state Capitol Building on Thursday, March 6.

Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, Montana Historical Society director Molly Kruckenberg, and friends and family will speak at the ceremonies that begin at noon in the Capitol Rotunda. Members of the public are invited to attend.

The State Legislature created the Gallery in 1979 “to pay homage to citizens of the Treasure State who have made contributions of state or national significance to their selected fields while epitomizing the unique spirit and character that defines Montana.”

Ignatius Daniell O’Donnell (1860-1948) dedicated much of his life to helping farmers modernize and improve their operations. He popularized such crops as alfalfa and sugar beets and helped established efficient methods of irrigation and dry land reclamation on a national scale.

Pretty Shield (1856-1944) worked tirelessly to keep her people’s culture alive, passing on Apsáalooke values, knowledge, and practices to the following generations. Raised traditionally, she taught her children, grandchildren, and other members of the Crow nation Apsáalooke culture, knowledge, skills, and values.

After the ceremony, panels with photographs and biographical information about O’Donnell and Pretty Shield will be added to those currently on display in the gallery, which lines the hall that connects the Secretary of State’s office to the Rotunda.

For more information, please contact Laura Marsh at laura.marsh@mt.gov

Photo captions:

Pretty Shield, photo by Norma Linderman Waller, courtesy Montana Historical Society; I.D. O’Donnell, courtesy Billings Gazette