songwriters & writers

Creativity Unplugged.

Find your muse on a Montana horse ranch.

Whether you are writing your first or next big novel, a personal biography, or your band wants to get new music out, this land has a very prolific vibe to it.

It not only supports in its physical amenities of spaces, privacy, and vast views, it has a very mystical energy on the land that meddles in the best of ways into your downloads of ideas and inspired thinking.

Portions of Oniya Ranch were home to a major Crow Native American tribe settlement. Tipi Rings were found on this land when previous owners attempted to utilize it for a gravel pit. They were shut down when the rings were found as it is unlawful to disrupt these historical settlements. When wandering out on the trail called Spirit Walk where the rings were discovered there is a feeling of being guided, supported, and inspired to create, write, and move humanity forward. That is the meddling.

The fascinating history of this land includes being the residence of the famed Crow Native American artist Kevin Red Star. He still lives in the area and has a celebrated gallery in the nearby ski town, Red Lodge, Montana. When he lived here, he painted in his studio, raised a pet wolf, and bred beautiful horsesthat roamed the land. He also brought younger generations to the pond that still exists on the property to teach them the ancestral Crow dances and ceremonies to keep their traditions alive.

In addition to the spirt of the Crow imbibing this land, a previous ranch manager that worked on this land and lived in the Farmhouse for forty years shared the stories of another previous resident, the famous author and master storyteller, Stan Lynde, that lived here previously to Red Star. He was a fourth-generation Montanan that created the national western comic strips, Rick O’Shay and Latigo. He also penned the western novels called Merlin Fanshaw Series here on this land.

Another fascinating part about this chapter, was that his wife Lynda, also an author, held a close relationship with Elizabeth Clare Prophet, the founder of the Church Universal and Triumphant church. Known widely as a cult religion by some but defined by their leadership as the “best of 7 religions.” We love the stories by the Ranch Manager about the naked people walking out of the sweat lodges, the festivals, and the crystals and healing stones that were buried all over the land.

And today, Oniya Ranch is a place to unwind, connect to all this history, the wildlife, and ground in nature to make sure we are actually having fun and creating the life we want to lead. The creativity of this land added to the love of Montana’s way of life has already been written and buried deep on this land. You get to come here to take the time to listen, be inspired, nurtured, and create whatever you want from this magical place.

If you’d like to set up a weekly or monthly writing or songwriting session at the ranch, contact us.