FORT BENTON — A mural honoring the Fort Shaw Indian School girls basketball team was officially unveiled in Fort Benton on June 9, 2026.
The mural honors the story of a group of young Indigenous women from tribes in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota who became known as the “World Basket Ball Champions” after winning at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
The team played an exhibition game in Fort Benton in 1903 inside what is now the Benton Pharmacy building.
More than 100 years later, their story is now displayed on the outside of that same building, preserving the history of the space and the legacy the team left behind.
The mural was created by Billings-based artist Rilie Zumbrennan and commissioned through Fort Benton’s pilot tourism grant, which was awarded to the city in early 2025.
The grant, awarded through the Montana Department of Commerce, is part of a potential five-year, $2.75 million effort to support tourism in Fort Benton. City leaders have said the funding is being used for projects including branding, signage, trails, and other beautification efforts.
The new mural also joins several other murals across Fort Benton. Some of those pieces are commissioned works, while others have been completed by volunteers, schools and local groups.
Together, the murals are part of a broader effort to preserve Fort Benton’s history, improve the visitor experience and bring new life to public spaces around town.
