John Clarke

John L. Clarke, grandson of Blackfeet Chief Stands Alone and frontiersman Malcolm Clarke, was born into a complex legacy. His grandfather’s murder sparked the 1870 Baker Massacre of 217 Blackfeet, a traumatic event for the tribe. Despite losing his hearing to scarlet fever at age two, Clarke found solace and inspiration in the wilderness of Glacier National Park. After attending several deaf schools, he worked as a master wood carver in Milwaukee before returning to Montana around 1910 to pursue sculpture and painting. Clarke gained national recognition for his wildlife carvings, including a prestigious gold medal from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1918. His art, deeply influenced by Native American heritage, was collected by notable figures like Charles M. Russell and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Clarke’s masterwork, The Blackfeet Encampment, is housed at the Montana Historical Society, and his legacy lives on in collections across the state.