BROWNING — Two middle school students in Browning have been recognized for extraordinary bravery after stepping in to save a classmate from a dog attack while walking to school, an act of courage that has also reignited community concerns over free-roaming dogs in Browning.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
Jesse and Kole, students at Browning Middle School, say they were walking to school when they saw a sixth-grade boy ahead of them suddenly surrounded by nearly ten dogs.
What happened next unfolded just steps away from the school. The boys say the student was dragged into the street as the dogs attacked him.
Instead of running away, Jesse and Kole ran toward the danger.
“We just ran over there and tried helping him,” Jesse said.
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Throwing rocks and trying to scare the dogs away, the pair says they acted on instinct despite being scared themselves.
Kole said the experience was frightening: “I was scared,” he said, adding that the incident may have changed how he gets to school in the future.
“First and last time walking to school, that’s for sure,” he said.
Eventually, a black car pulled up and honked, startling the dogs and causing them to scatter. The injured student climbed into the vehicle while Jesse and Kole continued on to school.
The boy's injuries were not life-threatening.
Their teacher says hearing what happened was shocking.
“I was really proud of them,” Angel Marceau, a sixth-grade teacher at Browning Middle School said. “They stepped up and helped somebody when they didn’t have to.”
The story quickly made its way to school leadership and eventually the school board, where Jesse and Kole were publicly honored through a Blackfeet coup — a traditional act recognizing bravery and courage.
In Blackfeet culture, a coup story carries deep meaning, historically earned by warriors who demonstrated courage and strategic bravery in dangerous situations.
School board trustee Terrance LaFromboise said the recognition reflected the boys’ willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to help another student.
Their actions, the board member said, embodied courage and care for community — values deeply rooted in Blackfeet tradition.
The incident comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding free-roaming dogs, or iimitaa, in Browning.
While dogs hold cultural significance and respect within Blackfeet traditions, concerns about public safety have grown following several dog attacks reported in recent years.
Dog roundup sparks concerns - watch:
In April, a dog roundup conducted by Tribal Fish & Wildlife drew backlash from some community members and was paused pending further discussions with the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council about how to move forward.
Now, following another attack involving a child walking to school, educators and school board members say they hope solutions can be found that protect both community values and student safety.
They say children should feel safe walking to and from school.
For Jesse and Kole, however, the focus remains simple: when someone needed help, they stepped in.
