Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes citizen receives Montana’s highest forestry award

Homer Courville spent 32 years fighting wildfires across the West

Shaun Griswold

October 30, 2026

At 18 years old, Homer Courville rushed into wildland firefighting in Montana and began a career as a smokejumper, leaping from planes into active fires in remote mountains.

Courville, a citizen of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, received the Forestry Pioneer Award from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, a lifetime achievement award that honors prominent people in Montana’s forestry history.

During a ceremony on Oct. 22, Courville was praised as a legend in wildland firefighting and for helping to expand the Montana Indian Firefighters Program.

"My interest and gratification with the fire program was seeing these younger people grow and become good firefighters and fire staff," Courville said in a speech after receiving the honor, which includes a permanent engraving of him inside the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation offices. The engraving celebrates his 32 years in the field.

1.Homer Courville, one of the first Native American smokejumpers, honored as a Montana forestry pioneer.

Spotted an error? Suggest a correction.

1.Homer Courville, one of the first Native American smokejumpers, honored as a Montana forestry pioneer.

We provide independent Native-focused reporting that gives our communities the context and the facts they need to make informed decisions.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Founder and Editor in Chief

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we exist to illuminate tribal government decision-making for everyone who cares about transparency about Native issues. Because the consequences of restricted press freedom affect our communities every day, our trauma-informed reporting is rooted in a deep, firsthand expertise. Every gift helps keep the fire burning. A monthly contribution makes the biggest impact.