“Fire in the Mountains” fest to battle suicide, substance abuse with Heavy Metal in incredible surroundings

Suicide, mental illness and substance abuse are tremendous issues that affect all Montanans but to our indigenous people, incarceration and suicide rates are much higher.  But there is a group of forward-thinking problem solvers who are taking a proactive approach to these multifaced problems.  And they happen to love heavy music.  Really heavy music.  Add to that the pristine Montana landscape near Glacier National Park and you have what has become the Fire in the Mountains Festival, this year an alcohol-free event that puts mental health, suicide prevention and health as well as spiritual well-being well above the things that one might expect at a heavy metal festival.  But the music will be harder and faster than anything you might find at Lollapalooza or Burning Man.

What is the Fire in the Mountains Festival?

Here is how organizers describe it.

"Fire in the Mountains is an immersive, open-air music and cultural event that merges heavy music with natural landscapes and Indigenous cultural experiences. As the ONLY alcohol free heavy music festival in North America, FITM is dedicated to confronting a critical and urgent issue that significantly impacts the Blackfeet Nation, and all of Indian Country: suicide. FITM is committed not only to raising awareness of the prevalence of suicide in Indian Country but also to actively participate in the solution by providing support for suicide prevention initiatives. FITM aims to create a platform that brings this issue to the forefront of our public consciousness and fosters a supportive community dedicated to change.

Through music, art, adventure, and education — all set within the remote wilderness that borders Glacier National Park — in an area the Blackfeet call “The Backbone of the World,” FITM offers a one of-a-kind, immersion-based experience designed to rekindle the inner fire and deepen each participant’s connection to the natural world, and to one’s self. This distinctive approach has quickly earned FITM international recognition as the most original, talked-about, and meaningful heavy music festival in North America."

Fire in the Mountains Festival will be held July 25th through the 27th at Red Eagle Campground, Blackfeet Nation, Montana.  Tickets and further information can be found here.