The Kootenai Culture Committee Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes developed How Marten Got His Spots and other Kootenai Indian Stories. Recorded by Kootenai elders and illustrated by Kootenai artists from the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana, these Kootenai stories were originally intended to help educate young tribal members about their history and culture. For centuries, Kootenai children and adults gathered on cold, dark winter nights to listen and learn from stories like these. In this story, Marten learns a hard lesson in obedience during a run-in with a bear that leaves his fur spotted.
