Názvy
Apsaalooke
Absaroka
Apsaroke
Absarokee km2
Apsáalooke
These places all have English names on maps created by the state of Montana, but Old
Coyote remembers what his people have called these places for hundreds of years, and
he hopes the Crow Place Name Project will help generations to come remember them as
well.
Two years ago Old Coyote and 20 other Crow elders began working with Little Big
Horn College general studies instructor Tim McCleary to document place names and
chronicle the stories behind them.
The Crow are an indigenous people of North America whose language belongs to the Siouan
branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic stock (see Native American languages ) and who call
themselves the Absaroka, or bird people.
They ranged chiefly in the area of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries and were a
hunting tribe typical of the Plains cultural area. Their only crop was tobacco, which they used
for pleasure and religious purposes. Until the 18th century the Crow lived with the Hidatsa on
the upper Missouri River. After a dispute they migrated westward until they reached the
Rocky Mts.
The Crow developed a highly complex social system. They were enemies of the Sioux and
helped the whites in the Sioux wars.
Today most Crow live in Montana, near the Little Bighorn , where tourism, ranching, and
mineral leases provide tribal income.
In 1990 there were over 9,000 Crow in the United States.
- Columbia Encyclopedia
The Crow reservation is home to the Crow people,. The
reservation is located in south-central Montana, is bordered on
the south by the state of Wyoming, with its northwestwern
boundary bordered by the city of Billings, Montana’s largest
metropolitan area. The tribal headquarters are in Crow
Agency.
As of December 2003, the Crow Tribe has 10,930 enrolled members.
7,583 of the enrolled members live on the reservation. Crow pages
Crow Nation
The Crow Reservation is where culture and tradition are a way of life, perpetuated from
generation to generation. Experience the culture of the Apsaalooke, "Children of the LargeBeaked Bird," the Crow People.
Now an area of 3,565 square miles, the Crow Nation consists of seven main communities:
Wyola, Lodge Grass, Garryowen, Crow Agency, St. Xavier, Fort Smith and Pryor.
Annually, the communities of the Crow People live their tradition and hold a variety of
cultural events such as hand games, arrow throwing, Indian dances and seasonal ceremonies.
Sought after are beaded finery of the Crow People. Old Crow Indian style designs and
contemporary beaded creations on traditional regalia are of collectible caliber. Visitors will
find many artisans and art pieces.
Pow-wows
Each year, both of Custer Country's Reservations host renowned pow-wows. On the Northern
Cheyenne Reservation, the Lame Deer Pow-wow (July 4-6, 1997) features the Princess
Contest (all princesses are welcome), dance contests in all categories, parades and grand
entries. Gourd dancing is held daily, and rations and feasting are always part of the festivities.
All drums, dancers and singers are welcome. For more information, contact the Tribal
Secretary at (406) 477-6284. Dates of pow-wows on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation:
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Memorial Day Weekend: Lame Deer Memorial Pow-wow & Rodeo
July 4-6: Lame Deer Pow-wow
August 29-September 1: Ashland Labor Day Pow-wow
November 11: Veteran's Day Pow-wow, Lame Deer
December 24-26: Busby Christmas Pow-wow
December 31-January 2: Lame Deer New Year's Pow-wow
On the Crow Reservation, Crow Fair in Crow Agency is the premier Pow-wow of the Plains
Indians. Each year on the third weekend of August (in 1997, August 14-17), Crow Fair is the
Teepee Capitol of the World.
From every western state and Canada, Indians come to camp along the Little Bighorn River.
Events include: spectacular parades each morning; an all-Indian rodeo with cowboys from all
over the nation; parimutuel racing and betting, wild horse races, and dances.
A short history of Montana’s Native Americans
The history of the various modern tribes in the part of America we now call "Montana," is
characterized by movement within seasonal cycles for many of them. They traversed the
plains to follow the bison and then retreated in intertribal struggles for control of hunting
territory. Finally, with the bison nearly extinct and tribes decimated by battles with white men
and disease, there came the final move onto reservations, marking the end of an era.
Archeological evidence shows that Native Americans inhabited Montana more than 14,000
years ago. Artifacts indicate the Kootenai have roots in the area's prehistory. The Kootenai
inhabited the mountainous terrain west of the divide, venturing only seasonally to the east for
buffalo hunts. The Salish, the Pend d' Oreilles and the Crow were probably among the first
“modern” Indians to join the Kootenai in Montana.
The Salish and the Pend d'Oreilles occupied territory as far east as the Bighorn Mountains.
During the 1700’s these three tribes shared common hunting and gathering grounds. With the
signing of the Hellgate Treaty, their massive landholdings were ceded and the tribes now
share the fertile ground of the Flathead Reservation.
The Chippewa and Cree were the latest tribal groups to come to Montana. They came from
reservations outside the state late in the nineteenth century after Montana's reservation system
was in existence. These tribes today are intermixed and use the hybrid name, "ChippewaCree," and claim the windswept Rocky Boy's Reservation in the north.
The majority of Montana's Indians arrived after 1700. By the time most Indians came to this
area, white men's culture was already strongly felt. The horses introduced to Indians by
Spaniards in the Southwest, and guns from white frontiersmen, became deciding factors in
determining which tribes would dominate the Montana territory in a culture completely
dependent upon the bison. The bison-based economy deteriorated in the 1880s when several
factors affected the future of Montana’s Indians. Bison were hunted to near extinction, the
Canadian and United States governments became the dominant force driving Indians from
their lands, and white men's diseases diminished the population and faded the spirit of the
Native Americans. By the 1870’s large tracts of land, through various treaties and executive
orders, were formally reserved for Indian people. Thus the reservations evolved. Today nine
percent of the Montana land base is reservations. Not all of this land is still owned by native
people, but all is governed by tribal or federal law. Reservations are important, not only
because Native Americans have strong spiritual ties to the land, but because reservations have
become the Indians' last retreat and the last chance to preserve their culture. Now, the people
of Montana's reservations are working to build strong economic bases so that their culture will
survive and flourish for future generations.
DATES RESERVATIONS WERE ESTABLISHED (with main community and resident
tribes)
Blackfeet
1851 Blackfeet
(Browning)
Crow
1851 Crow
(Crow Agency)
Flathead
1855 Salish, Kootenai
(Pablo) & Pend d'Oreilles
Fort Belknap
1888 Assiniboine & Gros Ventre (Fort Belknap Agency & Harlem)
Fort Peck
1888 Assiniboine & Sioux
(Poplar)
Northern Cheyenne 1884 Northern Cheyenne
(Lame Deer)
Rocky Boy's
(Box Elder)
1916 Chippewa-Cree
From: Graetz, Rick, and Susie Graetz. Crow Country: Montana's Crow Tribe of
Indians. Billings: Northern Rockies Publishing Company, 2000.
CROW COUNTRY
“The Crow Country is a good country. The Great Spirit has put it exactly in the right
place; while you are in it you fare well; whenever you go out of it, whichever way you
travel, you will fare worse. “If you go to the south, there you have to wander over great
barren plains; the water is warm and bad, and you meet the fever and ague. “To the north
it is cold; the winters are long and bitter, and no grass; you cannot keep horses there, but
must travel with dogs. What is a country without horses! “On the Columbia they are poor
and dirty, paddle about in canoes, and eat fish. Their teeth are worn out; they are always
taking fishbones out of their mouths. Fish is poor food. “To the east, they dwell in
villages; they live well; but they drink the muddy water of the Missouri... that is bad. A
Crow’s dog would not drink such water. “About the forks of the Missouri is a fine
country; good water; good grass; plenty of buffalo. In summer, it is almost as good as the
Crow country; but in the winter it is cold; the grass is gone; and there is no salt weed for
the horses. “The Crow Country is exactly in the right place. It has snowy mountains and
sunny plains; all kinds of climates and good things for every season. When the summer
heats scorch the prairies, you can draw up under the mountains, where the air is sweet and
cool, the grass fresh, and the bright streams come tumbling out of the snow banks. There
you can hunt the elk, the deer, and the antelope, when their skins are fit for dressing; there
you will find plenty of white bears and mountain sheep. “In the autumn, when your
horses are fat and strong from the mountain pastures, you can go down into the plains and
hunt the buffalo, or trap beaver on the streams. And when winter comes on, you can take
shelter in the woody bottoms along the rivers; there you will find buffalo meat for
yourselves, and cottonwood bark for your horses; or you may winter in the Wind River
valley, where there is salt weed in abundance. “The Crow Country is exactly in the right
place. Everything good is to be found there. There is no country like the Crow Country.”
Chief Eelapuash (Arapooish in some of the older books) in the 1830s to a fur trader. Crow
lands of today are exceptional. They range from the high desert-like Pryor Mountains in
the west to the Wolf Mountains and Rosebud Creek on the eastern fringe, and from the
Wyoming line north to the edge of Billings and Hardin. Their 2.2 million acres take in
some of Montana’s most noteworthy landscapes…the rugged and beautiful Bighorn
Canyon, ice caves and wild horses in the Pryors, the 9,000-foot rise of the snowy Bighorn
Mountains and the historic Little Bighorn and Bighorn rivers…a place for all seasons.
Seen from the air, it is obvious that much of Crow Country is still wild and uncluttered.
The diverse landscape ranges from high, sharp-edged terrain to flat cultivated benches.
Much of the western reach is difficult to negotiate, as the hills that climb from the bottom
lands are dissected by a labyrinth of coulees and canyons.
Pryor Mountains
Named after Nathaniel Pryor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Pryors, or Baahpuuo
Isawaxaawuua (Hitting the Rock Mountains) as the Crow called them, rise from the heart
of traditional Crow Country. Still used for vision quests today, this treasured land contains
sacred sites and ancestoral burial grounds. In essence, the Pryors are made up of two high
ridges, each about twenty miles across. The northern Pryors are within the boundaries of
the present reservation; here the highest points ascend to just a little over 7,300 feet
descending gradually into lower timbered buttes. Ice caves and a wild horse range
highlight the southern part where the higher points top out at over 8,700 feet. A dramatic
plunge of 5,000 feet to a desert environment exists at the southern most tip. The west side
consists mostly of an 8,500-foot high reef of limestone. The eastern perimeter drops from
a timbered ridge to lower hills that are abruptly ended by the walls of Bighorn Canyon.
Before the onslaught of early day hunting and disease, bighorn sheep roamed the ridges of
these mountains. In 1972, the animals were reintroduced to the nearby Bighorn
Mountains. Not too long after, they crossed the frozen Bighorn River and moved back up
into the Pryors. Today, there are approximately 115 sheep living along the east
escarpment and the southern reaches of the mountains.
John Pretty On Top, a Crow traditionalist explains the Pryors in the publication Every
Morning of the World by Loendorf and Nabokov. "I like to go up high enough to see all
God’s creations and the more you see of God’s creations the more you realize of the gift
to you…And the place to do it is up high, in the mountains, that is a cathedral without a
roof, without a wall, it is forever, as far as you can see is what He has given you...that is
how I see that mountain.”
Bighorn Mountains
The Bighorns are the most sacred of the mountains in Crow Country. Today only the
northern most twenty miles of this 120-mile long uplift is on the reservation. The entire
range is an integral part of their history, having been used for hunting, rituals and as a
respite from the heat of the low lands. Many legends are also told about this high country.
One of them was recounted by Henry Old Coyote in the book Bighorn Canyon National
Recreation Area…" a boy and his step-father went into the Bighorns to hunt at a place
called Hole-in-the-Wall. On the brink of a steep canyon, evil spirits entered the man and
made him push his step-son from the steep cliff to a certain death. When he returned to
the village, the man reported that the boy had lost his ways in the forest. A search was
unsuccessful. “The boy had fallen into some cedars growing from the canyon wall and
survived. On this perch, hundreds of feet above the rocky talus slopes of the narrow
canyon, he sat for four days. Nearly dead of hunger and exhaustion, he finally was
rescued by a band of seven bighorn sheep led by Big Metal with hooves and horns of
glistening steel. Big Metal gave his own name to the boy and each of the six other sheep
gave him power, wisdom, sharp eyes, sure footedness, keen ears, great strength and a
strong heart. “Big Metal returned to his people bearing a sacred message. The sheep had
told him…we seven rule these big mountains. That river down there is the Bighorn River.
Whatever you do, don’t change its name. If you ever change the name of the river, there
will be no more apsaalooka (Crow) tribe. The apsaalooka will be nothing." This wide
expanse (up to fifty miles across) of mountains start their gradual climb to 9,000 feet from
the valley of the Little Bighorn River as a series of fissured wide ridges. Compared to the
rugged south of the Bighorns where Cloud Peak soars to 13,167 feet high, the northern
segment is relatively flat. Most of the large glaciers that helped shape these granite and
sediment mountains have given way to a few small ice remnants, perennial snowfields,
forested slopes and sage covered meadows. In the warm seasons, magnificent wildflowers
cover the area.
Two deep ravines, Black Canyon Creek on the east and Big Bull Elk Canyon on the west
divide the northern mountain plateau and descend rapidly into Bighorn Lake. In places,
the relief is an imposing 2,000 to 2,500 feet. The Crow Buffalo Pasture, where the tribe
manages 700 to 1,200 head of bison, sits between these two colorful and dramatic
canyons. On the west side of the range, Precambrian rocks, the oldest in the world, are
exposed showing a chain of geologic events.
Wolf Mountains
Guarding the eastern perimeter of the reservation are the low-lying Wolf Mountains. Here
several summits are between 5,000 and 5,200 feet in elevation, but most only reach 4,000
to 5,000 feet. This range extends northward from the Wyoming line for approximately
fifty miles. Dense forests, interspersed with huge park lands, provide good grazing as
well as wildlife habitat. The eastern side, sloping off to the Tongue River Valley has
particularly beautiful wildflower shows in the spring and summer. From points on the
western fringe, it is possible to look out across all of Crow Country.
Bighorn Canyon
Before the 1962 completion of the 525-foot high Yellowtail Dam, the wild free-flowing
Bighorn River, coming out of Wyoming, incised deep into the limestone plateau between
the Pryor and Bighorn mountains. Its power of erosion carved one of the most precipitous
gorges (more than 1,000 feet deep) in the Northern Rockies. The depths of the canyon
were a daunting place to early-day trappers and natives. In order to avoid the dangers of
the river, they blazed the fifty-mile long Bad Pass Trail above the western edge from the
canyon’s mouth upstream to the lowlands near Barry’s Landing. In 1852, famed
mountain man Jim Bridger is suppose to have run the wild rapids of the river in a log raft.
Today, a seventy-one mile-long lake fills the once untamed Bighorn Canyon. The
National Park Service manages the park lands with input from the Crow Tribe. The water
is open to public use, however, reservation lands border the entire northern segment and
much of the eastern boundary of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area; a tribal
permit is required for access. Yellowtail Dam, named after, but against the wishes of,
former Crow Tribal Chairman and reservation superintendent Robert Yellowtail, didn’t
come without controversy. Many of the Crow people, including Yellowtail, opposed the
project and viewed it as yet another incursion by the white man on sacred lands. The US
Government condemned more than 60,000 acres for the recreation area and the dam,
which flooded many burial sites.
Bighorn River
As water pours out of Bighorn Lake at the dam, the Bighorn River picks up again and
flows north for forty-eight miles through the Crow Reservation on its way to the
Yellowstone River. The cold, nutrient rich waters of the first twelve miles beyond
Yellowtail Dam are considered one of the nations great trout fisheries.
At one time the Crow had complete control over the river, but lost out in a prolonged
court battle with the State of Montana to keep non-Indians off the Bighorn. Today there
are four public access sites.
Little Bighorn River
The "Greasy Grass," as the Crows sometimes call the Little Bighorn, occupies a broad
flood plain as it drifts north from Wyoming for more than fifty miles through Crow
Country. Enroute towards its meeting with the Bighorn River at Hardin, it picks up waters
from Lodge Grass Creek headwatering in the Bighorn Mountains and Owl Creek
tumbling out of the Wolf Mountains. The benches and low lands on either side of the river
provide fertile ground for farming and grazing. The Little Bighorn River has a place in
history owing to a one-day event that the Crow had nothing to do with, other than the fact
that some of them were scouts for the US Army. On June 25, 1876, George Armstrong
Custer, Commander of the US Seventh Calvary led his troops to complete annihilation at
the hands of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. The site today, near Crow Agency, is marked
as the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Other than that time, the Little
Bighorn observed a quiet history of cattle drives, trappers and then eventually Crow
farmers and ranchers establishing their claim to the soil.
Population and Culture
Today, more than 10,000 tribal members call the Crow lands home. Two-thirds of them
live on, or are adjacent to, the present day reservation. Divided into three
subgroups…Mountain Crow, River Crow and Kicked in The Bellies…they live in the
reservations six districts…Lodge Grass (sometimes called the Valley of the Chiefs),
Wyola (Mighty Few), Reno, Bighorn, Pryor and Black Lodge. Proud of their history,
traditions and language, the Crow are striving to keep them a part of everyday life. One of
the best examples is the strong, time honored clan system…a complex, matriarchal based,
extended family. There are seven different clans on the reservation, each one is supportive
of the other, shares family responsibilities and provides for the needs of their less
fortunate members. At birth, a child becomes a member of and takes the name of the
mother’s clan. Here they are never without a mother or a father, there are no cousins, only
brothers and sisters. The father’s clan members become the newborn’s uncles and aunties.
Also some unrelated members are considered kin. It takes a bit of time and practice to
understand this system. More than ninety percent of the Crow elders and adults speak the
Crow language. Emphasis is being placed on keeping their culture alive. Because many
under thirty prefer to speak English, and are adopting the white man ways, the clan system
and the language are endangered.
Land
It can’t be emphasized enough, how important the land is to the Crow people. Clara
Nomee, current chair of the Crow tribe, says…"the land is sacred to us, we consider the
earth our mother. Within the Crow culture, we are told by the elders that all Crow
members are blessed with three mothers...the earth, our natural mother and our tepees or
lodges." Burton Pretty On Top Sr., Cultural Director of the tribe stresses that "…spiritual
concerns are more important than material…preserving land for the future, saving it for
Crow children is important.” He emphasizes that “the children belong to a proud tribe
and the tribe considers their land important to their being...The Apsalooka and the land are
one.” Pretty On Top also relates, “In the hearts and minds of the Apsalooka, it is our
belief that “Akbaatatdia” (the Creator or First Maker) selected us to be his children and to
be the inhabitants of a sacred place, this land He selected for us is where we still live
today.” For this reason, the tribal administration has set up a fund to buy property from
individuals, Indians as well as whites, that comes up for sale. Once these pieces are
purchased they become tribal lands. The approximate 5,000 whites now living within the
confines of the reservation have bought almost 34 percent of the land from the original
allotments granted to members. In the past, far more land was sold to whites than is now.
Intro to Crow History....By Rick and Susie Graetz
The history of the Crow Tribe of Indians is at once colorful, fascinating and sad. Several
existing good books and numerous papers detail their passage through time. It is not the
purpose of this work then to reinvent what has already been well stated elsewhere. Rather
we present an overview of important documented events, profiles of several notable
individuals and the two versions of how the Crow came to “Crow Country.” Four books
were an immense help and are well worth reading; they are... Montana Indians by William
L. Bryan Jr., From The Heart Of The Crow Country by Joe Medicine Crow (to be
released fall of 2000 by the University of Nebraska Press), Parading Through History:
The Making Of The Crow Nation In America 1805-1935 by Frederick Hoxie (Cambridge
University Press), and The Crow And The Eagle by Keith Algier (Caxton Printers, Ltd.).
The Migration Story, The Battle of Pryor Creek, and Chief Medicine Crow were penned
by Joe Medicine Crow, whose grandfather, Medicine Crow, was one of the last of the
great Crow war chiefs. Appointed in 1948 by the Crow Council as Tribe Historian, Joe,
now in his eighties, was the first of his tribe to graduate from college. Earning a Master’s
degree in anthropology from the University of Southern California, he also has finished
all of his course work towards a doctorate there. As a young boy, he garnered information
from his notable grandfather and elders of the Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Crow who
had experienced the free-roaming days before reservation life...men like White-ManRuns-Him, one of Custer’s scouts who survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This
former warrior lived with Joe’s family for a time, recounting many stories detailing the
Indian Wars. In 1932, drawing from his background and education, Joe began to formally
research an accurate portrayal of his people. Timothy McCleary, who has a Master’s
degree in anthropology from the University of Montana, is the chair of the Department of
General Studies at Little Big Horn College, and is presently working on his Ph.D.,
researched many facets of historic and contemporary Crow culture. In his book The Stars
We Know; Crow Indian Astronomy and Lifeways, he writes a second version of early
history somewhat similar to Joe Medicine Crow’s, but with one fundamental difference
concerning the sacred seeds. Space has not allowed us to say much on the many
intriguing rituals and festivals such as vision quests, sweat lodges, etc. In brief, two in
particular are important in the Crow world. The planting and harvest of a rare and special
tobacco by members of the Tobacco Society heralds back to the sacred seeds given to No
Vitals and the group that separated from the original Hidatsa in the late 1500s. This gift
from God, as long as it is planted and cared for, ensures that the Crow will always exist
and enjoy good things. It is an enactment of their origins and territorial claims. Sun
Dances, viewed as anti-Christian because they involved the sun as a deity, body piercing,
and the seeking of revenge against an enemy, were prohibited by early reservation Indian
agents. Revitalized in the 1940s when the piercing was eliminated, the dance now asks to
have good fortune, well being, and health bestowed on the Crow people.
General Disclaimer:
The information provided within this website is intended for educational and
informational use only and is not intended for commercial use. Little Big Horn College
Library is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness or quality of information
provided and may not agree with any or all points of view or accuracy of documents
contained within this website. Any images contained within are property of their
respective copyright holders, any reproduction and distribution is prohibited without
proper permission of the copyright holder.
Crow History
The Migration Story
From: Graetz, Rick, and Susie Graetz. Crow Country: Montana's Crow Tribe of
Indians. Billings: Northern Rockies Publishing Company, 2000.
Crow oral tradition links the origin of the tribe to a separation from
a parent group. Tradition relates that this group traveled extensively across
the upper Midwest of the United States, and possibly into southern Canada.
Eventually this parent group came under the leadership of two brothers
known as No Intestines and Red Scout. These leaders had their respective
followers and, even though they camped as one group, the two divisions
were clearly defined within a single village. The group following No
Intestines called themselves Crow people, "Our Side," and they would
become the historic Crow who eventually settled in Montana and
Wyoming. The group under Red Scout would move to the Heart River
area of North Dakota. They would learn horticultural ways from the
Mandan of that region, and would become the historic Hidatsa tribe.
In addition, Crow oral tradition lends religious validity to this
separation of the Crow and Hidatsa. Their narratives relate how the two
leaders had fasted at Devil's Lake and each had received a vision. No
Intestines received a vision that told him to seek the seeds of Sacred
Tobacco, Ihchichiaee. Once locating this tobacco, he and his followers
would be in the center of the world--the best place for his people. Red
Scout, on the other hand, received a vision instructing him to settle with his
people on the bluffs above the rivers, and to plant corn on the flood plains
below.
After the initial vision, No Intestines and his followers began a long
trek west. Eventually, the Crow people stopped near Chief Mountain, in
present day Montana, and there No Intestines fasted again. On the fourth
day he received a second vision telling him he was not yet at his
destination, the area was too cold. Then the Crow people moved south,
passing by Salt Lake, Utah. After a while, No Intestines and his group
reached the Canadian River in Oklahoma, called Arrowhead River by the
Crow. Here, No Intestines fasted again and was told to move north. So the
Crow people headed north, following the Missouri to the Platte River, then
trekking to the Powder River which they followed north until they reached
the Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming.
To the Crow the highest peak on the crest of the Big Horn
Mountains is called Awaxaawakússawishe, "Extended Mountain," and it is
considered the center of their world. On this peak No Intestines fasted for
the fourth time and received a vision telling him that he was in the right
place, that the tobacco seed could be found at the bottom of
Awaxaawakússawishe. As he looked to the base of the mountain, he saw
the seeds as "twinkling stars," ihkaxáaxaaheetak. The Crow people then
made their home in Montana and Wyoming, with the Big Horn Mountains
as their heartland.
The Migration Story
By Joe Medicine Crow
From:
Graetz, Rick, and Susie Graetz. Crow Country: Montana's Crow Tribe
of Indians. Billings: Northern Rockies Publishing Company, 2000.
The migration story of the Crow Indians, or Absaro-kee, is certainly interesting,
intriguing, and often frustrating to the researcher. At the outset there exists a time gap, as
well as a credibility gap, between the legendary and the real, but as oral and re-corded
history reach back into the past and begin to support and substantiate the legendary, the
gap begins to close and a starting point is finally found from which some continuity can
be identified and maintained.
Now, let us hear perhaps the most extensive and dramatic Indian migration story ever
told, the one known and repeated by a succession of sixteen generations of Crow
historians, keep-ers of the tribal annals, and tellers of tales. It is said that in the long, longago times, the ancestral tribe of the Hidatsa and Crows once lived toward the east in the
“tree country,” now believed to be the western end of the Great Lakes, say south of Lake
Superior and west of Lake Michigan. Here the tribe followed the lifeways of woodland
Indians.
One spring, as the grass was turning green and the deer and buffalo were grazing with
relish in the open parks, the rains stopped. Hot winds began blowing continuously, and
soon the green earth was parched to brown. The buffalo disappeared. The chiefs held
council and an earnest search for the vanished herds was organized. Teams of fourteen
men were sent out in all directions. The parties eventually returned without succes...all but
the team going west.
It was a long time later that this last group returned. When they did, each man was laden
with huge packs of jerked buffalo meat. Everyone in the tribe had a little meat to eat. The
searchers then reported that their travels had led them far to the west where trees began to
thin out and there were open areas of grassland. There the hills were rolling, broken by
bluffs covered with pines. The men killed some buffalo and returned. This place is now
believed to be in the area of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Soon after, the entire tribe packed up and headed west. As the story goes, they caught up
with the buffalo herds and resumed a more leisurely way of life, maybe even settling
down as part-time farmers and hunters in what is now perhaps northern Minnesota and
southern Manitoba.
Up to this point, our story is legendary. But here the oral history takes root. In 1932, Cold
Wind, then more than ninety years of age, said that, as a young man, he had gone to visit
his Hidatsa relatives in North Dakota. From there, he went east and traveled many, many
days and finally came to some Indians (probably on the White Earth, Red Lake, or Leech
Lake reservations of northern Minnesota). There, he met an old, old man, a tribal
historian, who knew stories about the ancestors of the Hidatsa. This old man took Cold
Wind on a trip farther east and north. They came to a valley, and along the river were the
caved-in sites of the earthen lodges and other structures of a village. Next, the old man
took Cold Wind up on a nearby bench and showed him tepee rings. Then he said,
“According to our historians, your ancient ones, the forefathers of your people, once lived
here. These tepee rings were used by a part of the tribe who preferred to live in tepees
during the summer and hunt the buffalo, while the others lived in the village along the
river and did some farming. Then, one day the two groups got together and moved away.
They headed southwestward and never came back!”
As Cold Wind continued, he became more positive and explicit. His informants and
teachers were the octogenarians, and older, of his youthful years. It was about 1550 A.D.
that this ancestral tribe deliberately moved away, either looking for better hunting and
farming grounds or fleeing from hostile tribes from the east. We now know that, as
eastern tribes acquired firearms from European traders, the bow-and-arrow Indians were
pushed farther and farther west. Nearly all of the present Montana tribes migrated there
from the eastern woodlands.
On the way, these migrants stopped for some time at Sacred Waters (Devil's Lake in
northeastern North Dakota). Here, two chiefs...No Vitals and Red Scout, fasted and
sought the Great Spirit's guidance on their perilous journey. Red Scout received an ear of
corn and was told to settle down and plant the seeds for his sustenance. No Vitals received
a pod of seeds and was told to go west to the high mountains and plant the seeds there.
These seeds were sacred, and the proper way to use them would be revealed. The Great
Spirit promised No Vitals that his people would someday increase in numbers, become
powerful and rich, and own a large, good, and beautiful land!
The journey was resumed and by the turn of the seventeenth century, the band had
reached the Missouri River and moved in with the Mandans, whose village was located on
the west side near the junction of the Heart River with the Missouri. Later, the newcomers
moved farther upstream and built their own village of earthen lodges in the vicinity of the
confluence of the Knife and Missouri rivers.
It was probably between 1600 and 1625 A.D. that No Vi-tals, now middle-age, finally
decided to go westward to plant the sacred seeds and look for the promised land. “It is
time I heed the Great Spirit's instruction. I have tarried too long. Those who want to go
with me are welcomed.”
Thus, one spring morning there was hurried activity in the village. Large dogs and tamed
wolves were harnessed to travois. As relatives bade farewell, No Vitals and about 400
tribe members faced westward and left. Thus began perhaps one of the longest and most
dramatic migra-tions of any Indian tribe, covering thousands of miles over rough and
rugged terrain, through intense winters and tor-rid summers, and consisting of about 100
years of wandering.
It has been assumed by white historians and archaeolo-gists that this secessionist tribe
straightaway entered present Montana, either by following the Missouri all the way up to
the three forks or by going up the Yellowstone and then “disappearing” for a long period
of time. According to ac-cepted Crow oral history, however, this was not the case.
Contemporary tribal historians relate in detail how No Vital’s band traveled up the
Missouri and settled in the Cardston, Alberta, area for quite some time. The band probably trekked up the White Bear River (Milk River) in a northwesterly direction.
The ethnohistorical concept that the incipient tribe trav-eled very slowly as it gradually
experienced a cultural tran-sition from sedentary to nomadic lifeways, was probably not
the case. When No Vitals left, he started out afresh as a brand-new tribe without a name;
he literally and symbolically decided to travel light, for he left all the heavy implements
behind him for good. His band became an instant tribe capable of existing as a separate
and distinct entity, and one motivated with the desire and dream of someday receiving the
blessings of the Great Spirit when it reached the promised land!
The people of this new tribe, still without a name, referred to themselves as “Our Side.”
One day, the leaders called a council. The consensus of opinion was: “This place is too
harsh; the winters are long and cold. We must move and find a better place to live.” Once
again, they packed their dogs and wolves and headed south through the valleys and passes
of the Rocky Mountains. Just how many moons or winters the wandering tribe traveled
through was never specifically mentioned.
Then, one day, they came to a lake that was described as “so large that the other side
could not be seen” and so salty that they could not drink it. There is no question but that
this was the Great Salt Lake in Utah. It is not known how long this tribe stayed here, but
they apparently disliked the arid land and decided to move on once again. This time they
headed eastward.
The details of this trek are lacking until the band came to a huge pit in the ground with a
roaring fire at the bottom, apparently a burning coal vein. It may have been located
somewhere in the present states of Wyoming, Colorado, northern New Mexico, or
northern Texas. From this “Place of Fire,” our story fades into the legendary once again.
One version indicates that, they finally came to a large river flowing to the east. As they
followed it downstream, they found many arrowheads and other stone artifacts along the
banks. They called it “Arrowhead River, ” now identified as the Canadian River of north
Texas and Oklahoma. The group eventually came to a forest country. Here, they noticed
flocks of large birds with striped wing and tail feathers (turkeys). The people didn't like
this area since "they could not see distant places” because of the trees. This was probably
in the present state of Oklahoma and Arkansas or even Missouri.
Once again, the decision was made to turn and go in another direction. This time, the
group headed north and west. Just how it emerged once more onto the prairie country of
the Western Plains is not known. It may be conjectured that the migrants either followed
the Arkansas or the Missouri rivers upstream. If they followed the latter, they could have
turned directly westward by going up the Platte River and eventually entering into what is
now northern Wyoming and southern Montana, the very region they called their own land
in the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty.
When the wandering tribe finally arrived in this area, the people were still pedestrians. No
Vitals, who led the exodus around the turn of the seventeenth century, had been succeeded
as head chief by his protégé Running Coyote. He was entrusted with the care of the sacred
seeds and was credited with originating the Crow technique of stampeding buffalo over
cliffs.
Subsequent head chiefs...called the “chiefs before the coming of the horse and the white
man,” were listed as Paints His Body Red, Red Fish, One Heart, Raven Face, and White
Moccasin Top. It appears that, by the time the tribe arrived, One Heart was the head chief.
In about 1734 or 1735, Chief Young White Buffalo, who succeeded White Moccasin Top,
was regarded as being instrumental in transforming the new tribe from walking to
horseback riding Indians.
In closing, may I again take courage to state that when No Vitals led the exodus of some
400 people away from the ancestral village along the Missouri, the break was made
quickly and cleanly. The new tribe left its material culture behind; there was no gradual
transition from the earth lodge to the tepee!
The migration was purposely made. It was motivated by the dream of one man named No
Vitals. At the Sacred Waters, the Great Spirit promised him a good land far to the west
where his people would find the good life one day. Yes, it took about 100 years of
wandering through the wilderness over long, long distances. The original migrants all died
along the way, but it was their great-great-grandchildren and their children who brought
the sacred seeds to the mountains of the west...the Beartooths, the Crazy Mountains, the
Bighorns, the Wind River Mountains, the Absarokas, and even the Grand Tetons. Indeed,
this is the land the great Crow chief Arapooish described as “a good country because the
Great Spirit had put it in exactly the right place.”
Copyright © 2001 Little Big Horn College Library. All Rights Reserved
Crow History
Creation Story
The Crow people say the Creator, Iichikbaalia, created the humans
by instructing four ducks to go down into a body of deep water and retrieve
mud from the bottom. The first three ducks failed, but after a long time,
the fourth duck brought some mud from the bottom of the water. From
this the Crow were formed. The Creator then breathed into his creation
and for this reason Crow people say that speech or the word is sacred.
Then he brought the Crow to a very clear spring and inside this spring they
were shown a man with his bow drawn taught. The Creator said, "This is
Crow people, I have made them to be small in number, but they will never
be overcome by any outside force". The Crow people say that neither man
nor woman was made first, it is simply said that the Crow were created.
Crow History
Historical Timeline
Prepared by Timothy P. McCleary of Little Big Horn College, with the assistance of
Dale D. Old Horn and Joseph Medicine Crow. March 7, 2000.
1400
1450
The ancestral tribe of theApsáalooke and
the Hidatsa were living the "Land of Forests and
many lakes" (The present upper Great Lakes of
Canada and the UnitedStates.
Two leaders of this group, No Intestines and Red
Scout, fasted at Holy lake (present day Devils
Lake, North Dakota). Red Scout received a vision
indicating that his people would survive through
the spiritual graces of Sacred Tobacco. Red Scout
and his people settled on the Missouri and learned
horticulture from the Mandan, eventually
becoming the contemporary Hidatsa's. No
Intestines and his followers traveled on an
extensive migration in search of the Sacred
Tobacco. The trek eventually led them to their
historic homeland, present-day southeastern
Montana and northern Wyoming. This group
became known as the Ashalahó/Many Lodges or
the historic Mountain Crow.
1490
The Apsáalooke are firmly established in their
homeland, displacing the Shoshones and allying
themselves with the resident Kiowa's.
1500
During or shortly after the migration of the
Apsáalooke, a band formed called the
Bilápiiuutche/Beaver Dries Its Fur. No one
knows for certain what became of this group, but
many Apsáalooke and Kiowa's believe that they
went to the Southern Plains with the Kiowa in the
1500's and eventually became assimilated into
that tribe.
1600
The next band of the Apsáalooke developed out of
a separation from the Hidatsa. Sometime after No
Intestines group had become established on the
Plains and argument arose between two factions
in the Hidatsa villages on the Missouri River. The
quarrel was over the distribution of a drowned
buffalo, the wife of the leader Bad Heart Bear felt
that she had not received enough of the tripe. The
ensuing dispute led to a permanent separation
when the followers of Bad Heart Bear joined the
Ashalahó Apsáalooke on the Plains. This group
became known as the Binnéassiippeele/Those
Who Live Amongst The River Banks, or the
historic River Crow.
1700
The Apsáalooke acquired their first horses from a
Shoshone camp near the Great Salt Lake.
1743
A group of Apsáalooke camped at the confluence
of the Bighorn and Little Bighorn Rivers meet
with the La Vérendrye Brothers, French-Canadian
traders. Most likely the first encounter between
the Apsáalooke and the Europeans.
1805
Lewis and Clark Expedition travels across
Apsáalooke territory. On their return trip in 1806,
the remuda of horses meant for Clark, being held
by his sergeant, Nathaniel Pryor, are taken by
Apsáalooke warriors near present-day Huntley,
Montana.
1825
The first treaty between the Apsáalooke and the
United States is signed by Apsáalooke leader
Long Hair and Major O'Fallon of the United
States. The other prominent Apsáalooke leader
Sore Belly refuses to sign.
1840
The Apsáalooke are afflicted with the first of three
severe smallpox epidemics that reduced the tribe
from an estimated 10,000 in the 1830's to
approximately 2,000 by 1850.
1851
The Apsáalooke participated in the first Ft.
Laramie Treaty. The treaty stated that the
Apsáalooke controlled over 33 million acres of
land in present-day Montana and Wyoming.
1864
The outnumbered Apsáalooke successfully
defended themselves against the combined forces
of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho on East
Pryor Creek north of present-day Pryor, Montana.
The largest and most dramatic battle to protect
eastern Apsáalooke lands from the Lakota
invasion of the 1860's.
1865
The Apsáalooke assisted the United States
military in protecting travelers on the Bozeman
Trail. To this end, three forts were established in
Apsáalooke territory.
1868
The Apsáalooke participated in the second Ft.
Laramie Treaty, and their land holdings were
reduced to 8 million acres in present-day
Montana.
1869
The first government agency is established for the
Apsáalooke on Hide Scraper Creek (present-day
Mission Creek, Montana). This is the first
exposure of the Apsáalooke to the reservation
policies of the United States.
1872
Apsáalooke land holdings are reduced again and
the government agency is moved to present-day
Absarokee, Montana.
1876
The Apsáalooke continued to support the United
States military by supplying the scouts to the
columns of the Centennial Campaign. If it were
not for the assistance of the Apsáalooke to
General Crooks Wyoming Column on June17 at
Rosebud Creek, he and his men would have met
the same fate as General Custer's command did
eight years later.
1877
The Apsáalooke maintain constant attacks against
the invading Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho, with
and without the assistance of the United States
military. Even pursuing the fleeing Lakota's into
Canada.
1881
sitting Bull and his followers surrender at Ft.
Buford, North Dakota after being in Canada for
four years. Sitting Bull stated that one of the
reasons for his surrender was to seek protection
from the almost constant harassment of the
Apsáalooke warriors.
1882
The Apsáalooke agreed to another land cession
and the government agency is moved to its present
site at Crow Agency, Montana.
1887
An Apsáalooke war leader named Wraps His Tail
lead an unsuccessful insurgency against the
United States government because of newly
imposed laws restricting the Apsáalooke to their
reservation and preventing them from engaging in
inter-tribal warfare. Wraps His Tail was killed
and a number of his followers imprisoned. One
cavalryman was killed in the skirmish and is
interred in the Custer National Cemetery at Little
Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
1888
Against possible imprisonment and/or death, the
Apsáalooke leader Two Leggings leads a counter
attack against a Lakota raiding party from the Ft.
Peck Reservation. He and his group overtook the
Lakota horse raiders, killing one of them and
reclaimed their horses. Historians believe this to
be the last inter-tribal conflict to occur on the
Northern Plains.
Copyright © 2001 Little Big Horn College Library. All Rights Reserved
Apsaalooke Then and Now Timeline
"There are no clocks to measure time but the beating of our singing hearts."
-Herold Littlebird, Laguna Pueblo
Old Coyote, Mickey. Apsaalooke: Then and Now. Greensburg: MacDonald/Swărd
Publishing Company 1993.
1400-1500
1600
circa
Traditional exodus from the northern "bush
country" and separation from the Crow ancestral
tribe. Chief No Vitals, after receiving a vision,
led about 400 people westward on foot, using
pack dogs. Based upon glottochronology, the
separation from the parent tribe occurred
anywhere from 1800-2500 years ago.
The Great Spirit appeared to Chief No Vitals
again and gave him sacred ceremonial seeds.
Later tribal members went on a reconnaissance
trip to Mexico and returned in five years with
much knowledge.
1675-1735
Crow Tribe and Northern Plains Indians acquired
horses from natives near Great Salt Lake.
(Horses, after being extinct for 10,000 years in
America, were reintroduced to Southwest Natives
by European explorers, the Spaniards, in the
1500s and 1600s. These horses were primarily of
the Andalusian, Arabian, and Barb blood).
1743
Apsaalookas (Crows) saw white men for the first
time near present town of Hardin, Montana.
These were the Verendrye brothers from Canada.
They the Crows Beau Hommes when crossing the
Absaroka Divide, now called the Shoshone Pass.
1763
King George III set aside reserved lands for
Indians.
1764
Plan for Imperial Department of Indian Affairs
1775
Continental Congress first named a committee on
Indian Affairs.
1778
September 17
First United States Indian treaty-signed with the
Delaware; previous treaties were with British.
1789
War Department, included Indian Authority,
established by Congress.
1796
Government-operated Indian trading houses
established.
1803
Louisiana Purchase, vast Indian lands, acquired
by the U.S. from France-no consultation with
Indians living on these lands as sovereign nations.
1805-1806
Lewis & Clark traveled across Crow Country.
Clark met Apsaalookas at Pompey's Pillar.
Francois Laroque visited Crows on Yellowstone
about this time.
1819
Congress enacted first Indian education programcivilization fund.
1822
Indian trading houses and Office of Indian Trade
abolished; new Office of Superintendent of Indian
Affairs with headquarters at St. Louis for western
territories, General William Clark, first
superintendent.
1823
Monroe Doctrine banned European colonial
interference in Western Hemisphere.
1824
March 11
1825
1830
May 28
1832
Bureau of Indian Affairs established, in War
Department, called Office of Indian Affairs.
Crows made their first treaty [Friendship Treaty]
with the United States.
President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act
(IRA) passed, forcing eastern Indians west;
caused friction among all.
congress recognizes small Indian Bureau and
designates its head, Commissioner of Indian
Affairs; same year funds were appropriated by
U.S. Congress for vaccination of some Indian
tribes against small pox.
1834
Act organizes Department of Indian Affairs.
June 30
1834
New Indian Trade and Intercourse Act, regulating
Federal Indian administration; Congress requires
agents to live among tribes.
1843-1845
Government distributes smallpox-infected
blankets as germ warfare in Crow Country where
no vaccine had been inoculated. Epidemic
reduced population from over 8000 to fewer than
1000. (Population in 1992 back to nearly 8000.)
1848-1871
Long colonial period, in eyes of western Indians.
1848
Reservations formed.
1850
circa
1851
First siege of entire Crow Tribe by Sioux in which
Crows won.
First so-called Treaty of Fort Laramie. Crow
Country reduced to 38 million acres.
1862
Homestead Act, giving 160 acres of Indian lands
to settlers for $1.25 an acre.
1864
Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe's tried to
annihilate the Crows but failed, seven miles north
of present Pryor, Montana. Crow warriors were
outnumbered over 10 to 1 but succeeded in
blocking the invasion.
1868
August 13
Last treaty signed between U.S. Government and
Indians, second Treaty of Fort Laramie. Crow
Country reduced to 8 million acres.
1869
Board of Indian Commissioners (9men) formed,
lasting until 1933.
1870
Indian Homestead Act passed.
1870
Crow's required to conduct "reservation life."
1871
March 3
Treaty policy ends between United States and
Indians.
1871
Extension of transcontinental railways across
West.
1872
First time American Natives mentioned in U.S.
political party platform calling for "a wise and
humane policy toward Indians."
1872
Crow Agency moved to Rosebud River near
Absarokee, Montana.
1882
Indian Rights Association formed during Helen
Hunt Jackson's special Indian commissionership.
1882
April 11
Land Cessation agreement with Crow reservation
reduced acreage.
1884
Crow Agency moved near Big Horn and Little
Big Horn junction due to murder of member by
BIA.
1885
National Indian Association organized.
1885
Congress unreasonably delayed relief for starving
Indians in Montana; inaction rebuked by letter in
the New York Tribune.
1886
Indians regarded as wards, with complete
dependence upon the U.S.
1887
Congress adopts Dawes General Allotment Act.
February 8
1888
Crow Tribe confined to reservation, homeland
remnants.
1893
Secretary of the Interior, Hoke Smith, (Cleveland
Administration), came to Crow Agency to
purchase part of the Crow reservation; Aleck
Greene official interpreter for council.
1900
United States Indian population rose for first time
since 1492
1902-1910
Federal Indian reclamation, forestry, and
conservation began.
1903
Annual Crow Fair established.
1905
Land cessation of Crow territory reduces it to 3
million.
1906
Burke Act, amended Dawes Act on allotments.
May 8
1911-1923
Society of American Indians, founded by
Gertrude S. Bonnin, Dr. Charles Eastman,
(Ohiyesa, a Santee Sioux) etc., beginning of a
new unified, pan-Indian faith.
1918
Native American Church incorporated in
Oklahoma.
1920
Crow Allotment Act
June 14
1921
November 11
1921
Amended 1928
1924
Chief Plenty Coups, the last traditional leader of
the Crow Nation, represented all Native
Americans at the dedication of the "Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier" at Arlington National
Cemetery in Washington, D.C., by placing his
war bonnet on this sacred shrine.
Snyder Act provided funds for health, social,
economic assistance, and tribal health programs,
without regard to degree of Indian blood. Under
amended act, basic tribal government activities
and local services are funded through BIA.
Indians (not all tribes) granted citizenship and
right to vote.
June 2
1924
1926
May 26
1928
1934
June 18
Indian Health Division established within Indian
Bureau.
Crow Act of 1920 amended, authorized leasing of
allotted lands for many purposes, including oil
and gas leases. From 1920s until present, Crows
request Allotment Act to be addressed by
authorities. No action taken.
Committee of One Hundred; Meriam Report-poor
tribal conditions.
Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), WheelerHoward Act, New Deal, allotment policy ended
but BIA in control of tribes.
1934
Crow Tribe opposes IRA due to BIA control
clause.
1934
Johnson O'Malley Act, diffusion of Indian
administration and education.
1934
BIA threatens to dismiss Indian employees who
speak against Washington policies.
1935
Act set up Indian Arts and Crafts Board,
established the next year.
1942
BIA protects non-Indians instead of Indians in
regard to leases.
1943
Indian Affairs Committee of the U.S. Senate
recommended abolishing the BIA.
1944
National Congress of American Indians organized
in Denver (NCAI).
1946
Indian Claims Commission established League of
North American Indians; first time all Indians
could file claim suit against Government.
1947
Competency Act allowed leases to be signed
without direct approval of the BIA; instead went
through private firms, which in turn had to get
approval by the BIA.
1948
BIA constitution for Crow Tribe and other tribes;
went into effect following year.
1948
Indian Revolving Loan Act.
1948
Hoover Commission recommends transfer of
Indian Bureau to Federal Security Agency; bill
not passed.
1950
American Indian Historical Society formed by
Rupert Costo.
1950
Under Truman Administration, Indian
Commissioner Dillon Myer's Relocation Program,
leading up to 12 termination bills. Myers had run
internment camps for American Japanese, his
qualification for the job.
1953
July
1955
July 1
1958
September 18
1958
1950s
(late)
1961
1961
December 11
Indian Termination Act; Congressional resolution
of termination of Federal services and supervision
of Indian Health Act passed; House Concurrent
Resolution 108.
Indian Health Act passed; transferred Indian
Health Division from Indian Bureau to the U.S.
Public Health Service.
After many tribes terminated, policy of
termination discouraged; concentration on health,
education, and economic development instead of
assimilation.
Passage of Indian Land Sales Act, U.S. Public
Law 80-529, permitting sale of individuallyowned reservation lands to non-Indians.
Modern-day problems of Crows increase.
Yellowtail Dam water rights lost.
Court of Claims awarded 10 million dollars to
Crow Nation for land taken from them by the
Federal Government since 1851.
BIA inflicted strict Resolution 62-11 and 62-12
on Crows, controlling their money and forcing all
tribal policies and activities to be approved by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1961
Area Redevelopment Act passed by U.S.
Congress, provided economic assistance to
deprived areas and also made grants to tribes for
building tribal headquarters and community
facilities.
1961
Interior Secretary Stewart L. Udall names Task
Force on Indian Affairs.
1964
Economic Opportunity Act, major breakthrough
during Johnson Administration's war on poverty,
with Native Americans beneficiaries of action.
1966-1972
First time Crows strive for sovereignty, under
Edison Real Bird.
1960s
Although FBI/OIG harassment and destabilization
of Native nations became prominent in early
1960s, Johnson Administration reflected hope in
Indian policy reform.
1968
President Johnson's Indian Bill of Rights, Title II,
amendment to Civil Rights Act.
1968
Crow Mineral Act signed by President Johnson.
1968
National Council of American Indians
Opportunity created; Indian involvement in
decision making policy planning began.
1969
Amerind founded under sponsorship of the
National Indian Youth Council-established to
protect rights of Indian employees of U.S.
Government agencies.
1970
President Nixon's new Indian policy-self
determination without termination.
1970-1971
Native American Rights Fund, California private
legal organization, received over a million dollars
in a grant from the Ford Foundation.
1971
April
National Tribal Chairman's Association (NTCA)
created.
1972-1986
Period of fraud and mismanagement of Crow
Tribe, principally by BIA.
1972
Indian Education Act; employment assistance or
relocation program; first tribe, Menominee,
restored after having been terminated.
1972
Trail of Broken Treaties, led by Dennis Banks and
Russell Means.
1973
August 13
Office of Indian Rights, formed in Department of
Justice, 182 years after the United States Bill of
Rights.
1973
American Indian National Bank (AINB) opened
in Washington.
1973
Indian voting age lowered to eighteen years to
conform with the 26th amendment, U.S.
Constitution.
1974
Implementation of Indian Religion Issues
including feather case; Crow Delegation to
National Indian Traditionalist Conference.
1974
Passage of the Indian Financing Act provided
$250 million in credit for Indians and grants up to
$50,000 to Indian small businesses.
1975
January 4
1975
October
Indian Self-Determination and Educational
Assistance Act passed, Public Law 93-638.
Crow Tribe sues to invalidate coal mining leases
on reservation.
1976
Indian Health Care Improvement Act passed.
1977
American Indian Policy Review Commission
(AIPRC) Final Report, 95th Congress, First
Session, joint commission of Congress conducted
exhaustive analysis of relationship between the
U.S. and Native American governments.
1978
August 11
American Indian Religious Freedom Act
(AIRFA) passed. Senate Joint Resolution 102,
numerous Crow members instrumental.
1978
Crow Tribe files coal severance tax suit against
Montana, three years after controversial tax was
passed.
1981-1986
Crow Tribe administered by strict BIA control.
1983
Crows win inherent sovereignty case in Supreme
Court.
May 19861990
1987
January 11
1987
March 12
1987
August 4
Second time tribe starts to make progress toward
sovereignty and development of resources, during
Richard Real Bird administration.
Apsaalookas win millions in Crow Coal
Severance Tax Case from state of Montana, a
Supreme Court decision.
Real Bird Administration fires former Secretary
of Interior, James C. Watt, for neglect, etc. in
litigation over 107th Meridian Crow boundary,
survey mistake made by the U.S. Government.
Crow Tribe filed dereliction suit against U.S.
Government regarding Section 2, Crow Allotment
Act of 1920; breach of trust responsibility.
1987
October 22
1988
June 22-24
1988
1989
May 2
1989
July 17
1989
July 24
1989
August
1989
October
First machine-gun raid on Crow Tribe by
FBI/OIG SWAT team that confiscated BIA
records from Crow Tribal office.
"The Crow Nation: A Historical and Cultural
Presentation" at Billings, Montana, by the Crow
Tribe.
BIA shuts off Crow Tribe from heat, utilities, and
their own monies.
Coal taxes released to U.S. Treasury after
accumulating in federal court escrow account
since 1982.
Second machine-gun raid by FBI/OIG SWAT
team, at same time as Crow instigated
investigation of mismanagement and missing
millions of dollars of Indian funds in trust by BIA.
Federal Marshals quickly indict 26 members of
Crow Tribe.
Indian Leaders, led by Richard Real Bird, form
First American Sovereignty Alliance.
BIA secretary storms Crow Tribal Council
meeting to take away voting rights and
government participation from Chairman Richard
Real Bird and others indicted; same month BIA
froze tribal funds; BIA instigated riot.
1989
Real Bird Administration members' cases dropped
in indictment.
1989
Investigation of BIA, called for by Crow Nation;
with BIA found to be corrupt, New Indian
Federalism proposed by Congress to give funds
directly to Indians and to give them control of
their own government.
1900-1992
BIA presents dictatorial control over Crow Tribe
in its Resolution No. 90-35; leader of 1989 riot in
charge of Crow Tribe.
1991
Tribal Leader, Richard Real Bird incarcerated;
joins list of imprisoned Indian Chiefs also striving
for recognition of tribal sovereignty.
1992
Date indicates 500 years of suppression and
oppression of Native Americans by dominant
society.
October 12
1992
Richard Real Bird released from prison.
November
1993
BIA still has stranglehold on Crow Tribal
Government.
Crow History
Battle of Pryor Creek
By Joe Medicine Crow
From: Graetz, Rick, and Susie Graetz. Crow Country: Montana's Crow Tribe of
Indians. Billings: Northern Rockies Publishing Company, 2000.
The Dakota (Sioux), particularly the Hunkpapa and the Oglala, routinely
came to the Crow Country on horse-capturing and coup-counting raids.
Inter-tribal warfare on the Plains was the dangerous sport through which
young men climbed the military ladder to attain chieftaincy. This was the
essence of Plains Indian warfare, not goals of booty, territory, or conquest.
By the mid-nineteenth century, the surging western expansion of the
United States impacted the Sioux and Cheyenne then dwelling in the area
now called North and South Dakota. This pressure drove the tribes
westward. Their excursions into the Crow Country became more frequent
and more hostile. In fact, by 1860 these tribes began considering
occupying the Crow Country, which was then still unmolested by the ever
more numerous white men.
The story I am nowgoing to tell is about a seriously planned invasion and
attempted conquest of the Crows about 1860 or 1861. The site of the great
Battle of Pryor Creek is only twenty miles south of what is now Billings,
Montana.
In 1955 it was my good fortune to have acquired a reliable Sioux version
of the battle from Charles Ten Bear, a Crow Indian historian. He explained
that about 1910 an old Sioux Indian and his wife came to the Crow
Reservation and lived with Yellow Crane, where Charles Ten Bear was
also living for the winter. This Sioux man was a survivor of the big Battle
of Pryor Creek and often would tell the whole story in detail. Furthermore,
in 1935 Joe Childs, a fine Crow historian, told me the Crow account of the
battle. He said his father, Child in the Mouth, had been an active
participant in the conflict and never tired of telling and retelling the battle
story. Joe Childs would say, “I've heard the story so many times that I
know all about it as if I were there myself.”
But first the Sioux story.
In the early summer of 1859 or 1860, a Crow war party killed a fine young
Dakota (Sioux) warrior. Already he had counted a number of battle coups,
which entitled him to wear an eagle-feather war bonnet. His mother,
overwhelmed with grief, decided to mourn until her son's death was
avenged. Almost every evening she would lead her son's horse through the
camp, with the war bonnet tied to the saddle horn, ready to go. As she
passed the row of tepees, the woman would wail and challenge the
warriors. “Is there a man among the mighty Dakotas who will take this
horse and go fight the Absarokee?” She repeated this performance almost
daily for one whole year.
Then one day Brave Wolf, who was very much in love with a maiden and
wanted to make her his woman, asked his sisters and aunts to arrange a
wedding. The women were silent. An outspoken aunt finally said they did
not like the girl and did not want her as a sister-in-law or daughter-in-law.
The young man was deeply hurt and decided to kill himself. In those days
a man might commit suicide by joining the Brave Hearts, the warriors who
took the suicidal oath to die fighting for their people. By allowing himself
to be killed by an enemy, Brave Wolf would die with glory.
When the wailing woman next approached, Brave Wolf took the reins of
the war horse. At this moment the woman began a song of victory, “At
last, a brave one has taken my son's horse!” Within moments a big crowd
gathered around to see the intrepid young man. Brave Wolf was the instant
hero that day!
Quickly a council was called, and to the assembly a leading chief spoke:
“This is not just one man's decision; by his action today, we, the Dakota,
are committed in what could be a very important and serious undertaking. I
ask if the Wakan'tanka, the Great Power, has meant it to be this way?...and
I say let us take one whole year to make plans against the Raven People.
They are not many, but they are shrewd and tricky in battle. The time has
come that we must destroy them.”
Later that fall another council was called. It was here decided that all the
bands of the great Dakota Nation and the Cheyenne and Arapaho be
invited to join in a great undertaking. Teams of two men were selected as
emissaries to all the other bands with instructions to stay with these people
for the winter. They were to gradually influence the bands to participate in
what would be describe as a grand venture to move into the good country
of their traditional enemies, the Absarokee.
The emissaries did their work well. By the next May all the Dakota bands,
the Cheyenne, and the Arapahos began coming to the designated place of
gathering—the forks of Big Goose Creek and Little Goose Creek, where
Sheridan, Wyoming, now stands. As the bands arrived and set up their
tepees, the encampment grew larger and larger. It was said that camp criers
had to change mounts several times before making a complete circle
around the entire encampment. This was probably the largest gathering of
Indians at any one time in North America. Sitting Bull's famously “large”
camp on the Little Bighorn River some sixteen years later would be lost
from sight in this gigantic camp.
Scouts reported that the Crows were at Pass Creek, only a halfday's ride to
the north. The war chiefs quickly gathered in council.
The Arapaho chief was asked to speak. He was tall and impressive in
appearance. He said, “The Dakota people and their Cheyenne friends know
me as Night Horse, Arapaho chief. Other tribes also know me. I fear no
man of any enemy tribe. I am an Absarokee by birth, and I will not fight
my own relatives. This is not Indian war you are planning. To destroy
another tribe is wrong. I don't want any part of it. However, I give
permission to my warriors to stay and fight with you if they desire. You
have heard me, Aho!”
Night Horse broke camp and departed, heading for the Bighorn Mountains
to the southwest. He quickly dispatched his two half-Crow sons to warn
the Crow camp of the war expedition massed against them by thousands of
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahos.
In the meantime, the Crows had also broken camp and were headed west.
By evening when Night Horse's sons arrived, they were at Rotten Grass
Creek. Immediately they were surrounded by alert Crow warriors, but
when one spoke some Crow words and said they were the sons of Night
Horse, they were escorted to the lodge of the head chief. Explaining that a
huge enemy army was only a day's ride behind them, they relayed Night
Horse's advice that this small camp of Crows move away as fast as
possible and join with other Crow bands. Tepees were taken down hastily,
horses packed, and soon the Absarokee were on their way.
While the Crows were making the fast march toward the Bighorn River,
there was great activity in the Sioux camp at Goose Creek. As the horde of
warriors started out, there was much gaiety. Wives sang farewell songs and
shrilled encouragement, warriors whooped war cries, and old men sang
praise songs.
The Sioux storyteller recalled that many noncombatants joined the march,
mainly wives and girlfriends of the warriors, and many old and retired
warriors who wanted to see the utter defeat of their traditional enemy.
The advance scouts reported that the Crows were at the Bighorn River a
short distance below the canyon. The head chiefs decided to attack the
Crow camp, consisting of about four hundred lodges, at dawn the
following morning, but at daybreak the Crows were gone, the campfires
still smoldering. Here the chief in command motioned his men to stop. He
wanted to estimate the size of the Crow fighting force. The commander
quickly estimated, on the basis of three Crow warriors for each lodge, that
the Absarokee were outnumbered at least twenty-five to one (1,200 Crows
against 8,000 to 10,000 well-armed Sioux and allied warriors). At this the
chief smiled and shouted, “Wash-tay!” (good), and the warriors let out a
thundering war whoop that shook the nearby Bighorn Mountains! The
chief shrilled, “Today when the sun sets, there will be no more Absarokee
left! We will kill all their warriors and even the old men; we will save their
young boys and raise them to become Dakota warriors, and we shall marry
their wives and daughters to raise more warriors to fight the whites when
they follow us to our new land.”
It has been said that this was the first time in Sioux history that all the
bands came together to wage war against a common enemy. Moreover, it's
never happened since.
One afternoon Joe Childs and I sat on a hill overlooking the Pryor Creek
battlefield. Joe recalled that many times he and his father, Child in the
Mouth, would sit at this very same spot and relive that glorious day in the
history of the Crow Indians.
Joe Childs explained that when Night Horse's sons came and warned the
Crows, the decision was made to hasten far into the interior of Crow
Country. That next evening the travelers reached Pryor Creek, about fifty
miles to the west.
The events of the fateful following day began quickly and dramatically. At
early dawn a Crow man named Hits Himself Over the Head was searching
for his horses when he suddenly came up a hill to look over upon a
seething mass of men and horses. The scene was one of bustling activity as
warriors got their war horses ready, put on their battle regalia, and were
about to mount and charge down the hill toward the Crows. Hits Himself
raced for the Crow camp. As he approached he hollered the warning call,
and the head chiefs gathered to hear his report. Immediately they
dispatched ten galliant warriors toward the enemy to hold off the initial
charge just long enough to set up battle lines and to put up a fortress of
tepee poles and covers.
The ten Crow men charged right into the enemy and fired into the ranks,
killing a number of Sioux. As they swerved to return, thousands of Dakota
warriors roared down the hills in hot pursuit, truly a thundering charge.
Thus the long-awaited day for exterminating the Absarokee began.
Suddenly the small valley exploded with war whoops, gunfire, and the
thunder of horses' hooves beating the ground. The followers of the Dakota
war party now sat in clusters here and there on a high escarpment near the
battle scene. While some men smoked the pipe, the women sang victory
songs and emitted shrills of encouragement to their fighting men below.
My storyteller, Joe Childs, now on his feet, launched into a lively and
excited description of the fight as if he were right there at the real battle!
He pointed to an open flat area and said that was where the Crows had set
up their first line of defense. Crow warriors noted for their fine
marksmanship with guns and bows took a similar position nearby. As the
enemy crossed the creek and charged, one of the veteran Crow chiefs gave
a loud command, and the Crows opened a concerted fire with deadly
results. Quickly the Dakotas regrouped and made another charge, again
suffering heavy casualties.
It may be explained at this point that for this particular encounter...a clear
life-or-death situation...-the Crow war chiefs adopted the strategy of
warriors working together as a team under the direction of a war chief; the
traditional display of bravery, where individuals would charge into the
enemy ranks trying to count coups by striking an enemy with a stick, was
put aside.
The repeated charges by the Dakotas suddenly stopped. The Crows waited
and wondered. Then a wise Crow Indian decided to take advantage of the
lull to try a bluff, hoping to instill fear into the hearts of the attackers. He
rode toward the enemy making the sign that he had something to say. This
often happened in Plains Indian warfare. Through the inter-tribal sign
language, he said: “You have come a long way. By the size of your party,
you have come prepared to wage serious battle against the Absarokee this
day. Yes, the Raven People will fight you in a great way. Right now our
two other bands are on their way to help us. They will arrive soon, and
then you will have a real fight on your hands. I have spoken, Aho, Aho!”
The truth was, no help was coming at all. But the bluff was quickly
followed by strange happenings. As the Crow was returning to his ranks,
the Sioux onlookers on the hill were on their feet pointing excitedly toward
the north; then they waved frantically and shouted to their warriors below
that a large war party was coming up the creek. At this moment it so
happened that a large herd of elk had become excited by the noises of
battle and had started milling around. Their sharp hooves stirred a swirling
cloud of dust. Their white rumps looked like war bonnets!
Again the ones on the hill hollered...another war party was fast
approaching from the west. This time the warriors could plainly see a huge
cloud of dust moving rapidly toward the battleground. This phenomenon
was caused by a large herd of stampeding buffalo frightened by the noise
of battle in the valley. The Sioux war chiefs quickly ordered a determined
charge, hoping to dislodge the Crow defense lines before help arrived.
Once again the lines held and inflicted heavy casualties.
At this time, a third strange thing took place. Now the Sioux saw a lone
warrior riding hard from the hills to join the Crow defenders. His weapon
was a two-pronged spear made of elk antler. Suddenly this mystic warrior
hollered, “Kokohay! Kokohay!” and charged right into a group and began
spearing Sioux warriors right and left. Other groups stood their ground and
opened fire with many guns. Their shots were harmless; the man was
invulnerable to bullets and arrows. He would circle and return, repeating
the one-man onslaught. At this time the Crow ranks holding the defense
lines broke loose into a full charge. The Sioux and their allies gave ground,
breaking into a full retreat, with every man for himself. The strange Crow
warrior was right behind them, shouting, “Kokohay! Kokohay!” and
continuing to wield his deadly spear.
Here I will digress and take up Charles Ten Bear's Sioux version, as told
by the one who tagged along just to watch the battle. This man explained
to Ten Bear that just before the charge into Pryor Creek Valley, his brother
handed him one of the two extra horses he had brought along. So he got
into the battle about the time the Crows started the counterattack. He
recalled that he decided to retreat as fast as his horse could run. The horse
started to weave and to lose speed; then it rolled over, dead.
Now he was afoot and could hear, "Kokohay! Kokohay!" not far behind
him. He thought he would surely die. But very fortunately a Sioux horse
trotted by, dragging the reins. He succeeded in catching the horse, and
escaped. He joined a group and hastened back toward the big camp.
Whenever they stopped for a short rest in the dark, suddenly they would
hear, “Kokohay! Kokohay!” above them in the sky. On they would go.
The Sioux storyteller related to Charles Ten Bear that when his group
reached Goose Creek, already there was wailing throughout the camp.
After two days of waiting, when no more warriors returned, the various
bands dispersed.
After the era of inter-tribal warfare on the Plains, which ended with the
Battle of the Little Bighorn of 1876 and with Chief Joseph's surrender at
the Bears Paw Mountains in 1877, the Plains tribes would visit back and
forth among the various Indian Reservations. Here the tribal historians and
storytellers would exchange information and verify in detail all the facts
pertaining to a particular battle.
On one occasion, some Sioux came to visit the Crows. Among other
inquiries, the visitors wanted to know the name of the ferocious warrior
who almost single-handedly stampeded the Sioux and Cheyenne that day at
Pryor Creek. The Crow historians, some of them veterans of the Pryor
Creek battle themselves, could not recall such a warrior, even though the
Sioux insisted that he had been there that day.
Finally it was recalled that during the height of the Sioux attack, an old
Crow woman came out of the fortification, walked to a point where she
could see the enemy, and prayed: “Old Man Coyote, teacher and
benefactor of the Absarokee people, one day you made a promise. You
said that after you had been gone from us for some time, if one day the
people should be in great danger, that you would come back to help us.
You said that we should pray for your quick return. I now pray for you to
come and help us survive this very day. Come, come!” It was believed that
the woman's prayer was answered when Old Man Coyote, the Great
Spirit's helper to the Absarokee, suddenly appeared in the form of a special
warrior and stampeded the enemy. It was also believed that it was Old Man
Coyote's help that caused the elk and buffalo herds to mill around, raising
clouds of dust that looked like fast-approaching relief. Perhaps Night
Horse was right when he said to the war chiefs at Goose Creek that the
plan to exterminate another tribe, the Absarokee, was wrong.
Copyright © 2001 Little Big Horn College Library. All Rights Reserved
Crow History
Crow History Notes
From: Graetz, Rick, and Susie Graetz. Crow Country: Montana's Crow Tribe of
Indians. Billings: Northern Rockies Publishing Company, 2000.
While oral records indicate the first meeting of white men (Canadian) and Crow took
place somewhere near present-day Hardin, Montana in about 1743, the first documented
encounter was with a trapper named Menard on the Yellowstone River in 1795. A FrenchCanadian fur trader, Francis Antoine Larocque, made contact in June 1805 near the then
confluence of the Little Missouri and Knife rivers in North Dakota, and William Clark,
co-leader of the famous Corps of Discovery, met with the Crow at Pompey’s Pillar on
July 25, 1806.
It’s significant to mention that throughout the various treaty discussions of the 1800s, the
Crow, who split into two separate bands in 1830...the Mountain Crow that lived in and
around the mountains of northern Wyoming and southern Montana and the River Crow
who spent much of their time between the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, were acted
upon as one tribe. Contract negotiations seemed to take place for the most part with only
the Mountain Crow in mind.
When the reservation idea was initiated, the River Crow were assigned to the Milk River
Reservation in the north, but conditions there were less than ideal. It soon came to pass,
that the River Crow had three choices: 1) To stand alone and starve. 2) To join their
traditional enemies the Sioux and Arapaho, or 3) To reunite with their Crow kinsmen in
southern Montana. There was to have been a separate reservation treaty with the River
Crow, but it was never ratified by the US Senate. By the early 1870s, although not
without much difficulty, both bands began uniting on the same reservation.
1825 Agreement
The Crow, like many other tribes in the upper Missouri River region signed an agreement
of friendship with the United States via the Atkinson-O’Fallon Expedition. In essence,
they accepted the sovereignty of the US Government and as well, territorial boundaries. It
is important to note that throughout all of the so-called "Indian wars" and turmoil between
white and red, the Crow people always remained friendly. They were never at war with
the US Government and many of their members served as scouts for the US Army. In
substance, this pact was more of an agreement with fur traders, namely the American Fur
Trade Company, than a peace treaty. Eventually this action, helped escalate inter-tribal
warfare in Montana and the Dakotas. Earlier, when the Indians realized that constant
battles were resulting in too many deaths and there were plenty of bison for all to hunt,
they began working towards peace amongst themselves. Art Alden Jr., of today’s Tribal
Cultural Committee relates that tribes even exchanged children for a time so they would
come to know each others ways. However, as fur traders and others moved into Indian
Country, they began exterminating the bison and pushed the tribes into a more
concentrated area. Guns that came with this so-called 1825 Treaty put the Indians into the
arms race. Tensions again flared and inter-tribal warfare picked up and continued well
into the late 1800s.
Smallpox Visits the Crow
The steamship Saint Peter, coming up the Missouri River in June of 1837, brought the
smallpox virus with it. When it stopped to unload at Fort Union, in an area that would
become the Montana/North Dakota border, the disease spread to those Indians who were
camped in and around the trading post. Infecting many tribes, some such as the Mandans,
were almost completely eliminated. It was reported that only about forty-three adults and
seventy children survived. Other tribes lost close to fifty percent of their numbers. The
Sioux (Dakota) for the most part avoided the epidemic. As word got out, the Crow left the
area and were only lightly touched by the malaise. Later, other outbreaks, including
scarlet fever, influenza and another smallpox epidemic, decimated the Crow. Numbers
vary according to the records, but by the mid-1840s, the Crow population is estimated to
have been between 6,000 to 8,000 strong; however, various ailments soon dropped that
count to less than 1,000 survivors. The Crow’s enemy, the Sioux, being relatively
untouched by illnesses, grew in numbers and as hostilities increased, became even more
of a threat to the Crow existence.
1851 Fort Laramie Treaty.
Convened as a peace council at Horse Creek, forty miles east of Fort Laramie, Wyoming,
it concluded on September 17th with the signing of a "treaty.” The goals were to allow
safer passage for Americans crossing Indian Territory on their way to Oregon, reduce
inter-tribal warfare and establish boundaries for the tribes. The Crow “were given” more
than thirty-eight million acres as their land to “keep forever.” After the agreement, Crow
Country consisted of nearly the entire northern half of Wyoming (including the
headwaters of the Tongue and Powder rivers and the Wind River Mountain Range), and
southern Montana from the headwaters of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National
Park, east through the Paradise Valley to the Powder River, and then north beyond the
Crazy Mountains to the Musselshell River. The actual northeast boundary (the region
where the River Crow lived) wasn’t quite clear.
The Bozeman Trail
In spite of promises, treaties, and supposed control over their own sphere, white invasion
of Crow lands and those of the other Indians increased. Major mineral strikes had been
made at Bannack, Alder Gulch, and Helena. The town of Bozeman was growing rapidly;
people were being attracted to Montana. In 1865, to enable more settlers to reach this
region, John Bozeman established a wagon route... The Bozeman Trail. Leaving the
Oregon Trail that crossed Wyoming, it headed north on the east side of the Bighorn
Mountains (through Crow domain) to just below the mouth of Bighorn Canyon. From
there it pointed northwest to the Yellowstone Valley and then on to Bozeman. The
presence of this road and the hordes of whites using it, incensed the Indian Nations,
especially the Sioux. Their constant harassment of travelers forced the US Military to
establish several strongholds along the route, including one at the site of today’s Fort
Smith.
1868 Fort Laramie Treaty
Prompted by white pressure, the US Government, once again, attempted to sign “new
treaties” with the Indians in order to further reduce “their territory.” The goal was to bring
them into the white lifestyle and therefore “solve the nation’s Indian problem.” This time
though, the Crow and other tribes, had demands of their own, including removal of all
forts along the Bozeman Trail, and assurances that they be allowed to continue their
nomadic way of life. On May 7, 1868, the treaty was signed and shortly thereafter the trail
and forts were closed.
In the process, the Crow lost nearly thirty million acres of their land, while being “given”
an eight million-acre reservation. Headquarters for the reserve, the first Crow Agency,
was established at Mission Creek on the Yellowstone River east of Livingston. The
Reservation Era in Crow history had commenced.
Successive Indian agents at Mission Creek made attempts to convert the nomadic Crow to
agriculture, based on the hopes of these 1868 accords. In his 1879 annual report, then
agent A.R. Kellar felt the efforts were a failure and that the Crow were still very much
embracing their traditional ways. He wrote, “When the grass begins to grow in the spring
they all sigh for the excitement of the chase, strike their tents, and, like a grand army,
move out upon the broad prairies to engage in their summer hunt, which they keep up
until mid-summer, when they return to the agency, dress their hides, make their lodges,
and remain until fall, then they go out to kill the buffalo and secure robes and dry the
meat, which constitutes their stock in trade. So soon as this hunt is concluded, which
usually runs to the middle of January, they return to the agency, tan their robes, draw their
annuities, and enjoy themselves singing and dancing, with a hilarity unknown to other
people on the continent.”
Before 1868, Sioux attacks on the Crow were held back by the US military presence along
the Bozeman Trail. The garrisons had served, for the most part, to keep the enemy to the
east of the Little Bighorn River. Now, in the first half of the 1870s with the forts gone, the
Sioux pushed west and intensified their assaults on the Crow, coming as far as Mission
Creek.
This is not to say the Crow always lost out. In a large skirmish the summer of 1873, at the
confluence of Pryor Creek and the Yellowstone River, Crow warriors aided by the Nez
Perce, repulsed a Sioux attack and chased them off.
What the military presence failed to do was to keep the white intruders from violating
Indian Territory. The Crow agent wrote, “whites were coming onto reservations by the
hundreds, killing and driving game...destroying the best of their grazing country by
bringing in herds of cattle and horses; roaming at will from one end to the other; searching
for gold and silver mines...”
The White Man’s Attitude
Montana was now a territory and many settlers resented the Federal Government
establishing large reservations for the Indians. On July 21, 1866, an editorial in the
Montana Post, perhaps then the most prominent paper in the state, proclaimed, “the
nonsense of trying to civilize the Indian, needs to be replaced by a more aggressive
national policy.” Another article later that winter called for a halt to “sickly
sentimentalism” that had been ruling Indian regulation. The paper proposed, “a more
realistic policy would be to wipe them out,” contending that, “the Indian’s presence in
Montana was a blockade to the increased civilization of the territory.” They wanted the
Indians to leave or “suffer the consequences.” Governor Meagher (considered by many to
be inept) also wanted the reservations to be closed down and demanded that the Indians
“get out of the way of the white’s advancement.” There was a double standard in place.
The Indians were expected not to stray from their reservation and to refrain from hunting
on US lands. Yet ranchers and prospectors held that the Crow domain boundaries should
not keep out whites. Agent Kellar reported in August 1881, that whites had “no respect”
for the tribe and “deemed it no crime to kill an Indian, but rather an act of heroism.” It
was a sad time in our state’s history.
Relocation
Coercion from mineral seekers and politicians, the fact that a railroad was to be pushed
through the Yellowstone Valley, and the desire to place the tribe on more favorable
agricultural lands, led the government, in June 1875, to relocate the Crow Agency at
Mission Creek to the Stillwater Valley, near present-day Absarokee. This site though, was
close to the Sioux and almost immediately, raids on the new outpost for horses, food and
guns began. Life here was not good.
Another Move
By the fall of 1883, more pressures were being brought upon the government’s Indian
office. Politicians and stockmen solicited the federal agency to “recognize the destruction
of the game population by seizing the new hunting territory and confining the tribe to a
small agricultural reservation.” Crow agent Henry Armstrong wrote from the Stillwater
Headquarters, “these people cannot hold such an extent of country as they now do very
much longer.” In addition, Armstrong sensed that the tribe was on the “verge of
starvation.” In the past few years, less than fifty Crow had spent the winter at the isolated
Crow Agency. Now in early 1884, hostile whites and disappearing game forced most of
them to stay close to the agency warehouse. Henry Teller, Secretary of the Interior,
wanted the Indians to agree to be moved again. Agent Armstrong offered that the Indians
should be governed by force with no say in their plight. In April, 1884, the Crow left the
Absaroka Mountains and moved to the valley of the Little Bighorn River to a “permanent
reservation” with headquarters at the present-day Crow Agency. It has been written that
many of the leaders of the Crow wanted to cooperate with the relocation. They felt that
without the help of the “Great White Father” there was no chance for survival, and Chief
Plenty Coup sensed that ranching and farming might be an answer to the disappearance of
game and bison from their traditional territory. No one could foresee the suffering that
was to come to the Crow in the Little Bighorn Country.
1885 Allotments
The matter of individual land allotments on the “new” reservation, had mixed support
from the Indians as it was mostly the white man’s idea. Agent Armstrong was convinced
that allotments would “save great trouble, annoyance and discontent within the tribe by
giving every Crow an opportunity to make his home his castle in every respect.” Others
were also anxious to see this system adopted. Calculations showed that if 2,500 tribal
members each received a 160-acre homestead, only fifty percent of the five million acres
would be needed for the Indian’s use and the rest could be opened up to whites. The
Billings Gazette, outspoken against the Crow in those years, said that “the sooner the
Crows were allotted, the better for themselves and for the nation; particularly for the
citizens of Montana.” Initially, the Indians went about removing allotment survey stakes
and fought all efforts to establish them. Several government agents came and went, but
were unsuccessful in trying to get the Crow to take possession of their "homesteads.” At
the same time, whites continued to intrude on the reservation. The Billings Gazette stated
that “the Crows were setting fire to their grazing lands to keep trespassing white stockmen
off Crow ranges…another strong argument for settling the Crow on lands in severalty
(individual units with no communal tribal land) and promptly reducing the reservation,
which has become an intolerable nuisance and a constant menace to white settlers outside
of its boundaries.” By 1886, most of the inter-tribal animosities were gone and the Crow
and the Sioux began establishing friendships. In September 1886, Sioux Chief Sitting
Bull, much to the dismay of the federal Indian agents, came to the reservation to beseech
the Crows to fight off any efforts towards forced allotments.
Further Ceding of Crow Land
The Indian agency in Washington D.C., in September 1890 was authorized by Congress,
to negotiate with the tribe for the sale of all of their lands west of Pryor Creek, the area
that now serves part of the western boundary of the reservation. Within the tribe, there
was opposition, as well as support for this idea. Chief Plenty Coups responded, “If you
white men put in all your money to buy that land, you would not pay all it is worth…I
don’t want to have bad feelings against Indians or whites, but I want my country to
remain. The Great Father buys and buys from me and this time I won’t do it.” However,
tribal members living in the eastern end of the reservation and those from the country of
the Little Bighorn wanted the money and favored the government’s proposal. Referring to
them, Plenty Coups said, “In my country (speaking of the western end of the reservation)
you can’t find four young men you have had in prison. My people never pointed their
guns towards the whites…these people on the Little Bighorn have always had trouble
amongst themselves. Mine do not…I don’t want my people to get mixed up in such a
crowd as this. The commissioners had better go home.” This resolute stand caused the
meeting to be adjourned without action. Eventually, the land sale went through and the
tribe received $900,000 plus other “benefits,” including a $12 per tribal member annuityper-year for twenty years. In 1898, the Government returned once again with another
“offer” to purchase “acreage that was being unused.” At a meeting with the land
commissioners from the Washington D.C. Indian agency, Chief Plenty Coups, in his role
as a leader, was the first to speak. He was absolutely opposed to any new discussions until
the promises of the 1890 land sale were fulfilled (most of them were not). He stated,
“When you have made these settlements to the Indians then you can come back and I and
my people will talk to you about these lands that you now want.” This time Plenty Coups
had the unanimous support of the tribe. He and other Crow leaders enlisted young Indian
men, who had been sent to government schools off the reservation, to communicate.
Spotted Horse told the commissioners…“Here gathered near me you see the boys we sent
to school…they are young men now and can read and write; they are men that we look on
with confidence.” The learned young men spoke of all the broken promises made in the
past. The commissioners were dumbfounded and postponed discussions on the land sales
until the spring of 1899. Those deliberations were also put off and a meeting was finally
held on August 8, 1899. The commissioners were once more facing a united tribe adamant
about having their demands met. Now, the government wanted to purchase the entire
reservation lands south of Lodge Grass and to the north of the meeting of the Little
Bighorn and Bighorn rivers. Their reasoning was “you would still have all of your most
valuable land.” The commissioners listed their promises and on the second day of the
meeting, Plenty Coups said “after the back payments are made, we will come back and we
will talk to you about buying this land…I will have my boys…young fellows who are
educated…see that all back payments are made…” As the proceedings went on, an Indian
agent produced $10,000 in US Government drafts to take care of all the back payments
owed the tribe. Flashing this money changed the flow of the meeting to discussions on
price and what would be sold. It was agreed that the southern portion of the reservation
would not be sold. Lands in and around present-day Hardin and north became the focus.
The sales were completed in those last months of 1899; the government paid something
on the order of one dollar per acre.
Life on the Reservation
In the 1880s times were hard and there was much discontent. At one point, a railroad
company wanted a right-of-way across lands in the western end of the reserve. The tribe
for the most part was agreeable, but Plenty Coups, head of the band of Indians living on
the western district, told the white officer who was negotiating for them, “I want you to
get all the pay you can for us.” Other leaders spoke up. Old Dog stated he wanted far less
contact with the whites and said, “Don’t ask us for anything else…don’t ask us for
anything more. We don’t want anymore roads on our land anywhere…we need larger
rations…we don’t get enough.” Spotted Horse added, “We are hungry…you issue us
rations to last seven days and they don’t last half that time.” He then admonished the
agent to view the Indian men before him…“You don’t see one fat one among them all.”
More rations did come to the Crow, but tension continued to mount.
Population
In 1806, Lewis and Clark estimated that there were a total of 3,500 Crow Indians in all of
the bands. A census taken in the summer of 1887 listed 2,450 Crow on the reservation
with 630 families accounted for. Ensuing census figures showed a decline in the
population for sometime. In 1894, the numbers were 2,126, in 1903 - 1,941, in 1910 1,740, and in 1920 there were 1,714 counted. The first rise in population was shown in
1930 with a total of 1,963 Crow listed.
The US Government’s efforts to try and "civilize the tribe" by bringing them into the
white man’s world was a large factor in the death of many young tribal members.
Tuberculosis, diphtheria and typhoid fever brought on by unsanitary conditions took their
toll as they spread throughout the reservation.
Agent Henry Armstrong wrote in 1884, “These Indians hate the white man’s way of life
in their hearts.” In 1888, another agent said “hereditary disease and the abrupt change
from a nomadic life and the meat diet, to living in houses and an almost vegetable diet, is
causing an enormous death rate.”
The Crow people tried their best to hold on to their culture and as some visitors to the
reservation in 1886 said, “they still cling with tenacity to all the traditions of the past, and
have not deviated in dress, habits or pursuits of the tribe of fifty years ago.”
More Attacks
From 1907 through 1919, the Crow, using perseverance and a new found political savvy,
fought off several attempts by outsiders to reduce the size of their property. Members of
Montana’s Congressional delegation, viewing much of the reservation as “surplus lands,”
intended to retrieve a good amount of it for white homesteaders.
Senator Joseph Dixon made the first assault in December 1907, by asking for 2.5 million
acres, with payment to be made only as each parcel was sold. Leading the defense, Chief
Medicine Crow advised sending Plenty Coups and several of the well educated tribal
members to the nation’s capital to present their case and lobby for a positive resolution.
Never giving up, by 1911 they had influenced the defeat of three such bills.
In 1915, Senator Henry Meyers took aim with a “compromise” bill. Robert Yellowtail, a
young, well educated Crow from Lodge Grass, came into prominence when he made an
eloquent plea to halt said bill and stated that tribal lands would never be taken without the
consent of the Tribal Council. A united display and the political alliances formed by
Plenty Coups and others began to pay off; the action never made it to the Senate floor.
At the end of World War I in 1919, yet another aggression was made to usurp Crow lands.
This time, the ploy was...a promise that no legislation would be enacted without tribal
approval, if, the Crows could agree to devise a way to end communal land ownership on
the reservation. A split ensued. The older warriors like Plenty Coups, wanted no change
whatsoever and felt a solid front could, once again, overcome Congress. The younger
faction, influenced by Robert Yellowtail, sensed that the best choice of action was to
divide the unallotted lands among themselves, thereby stopping the US Government from
eventually giving it away. This would also diminish the effectiveness of the federal Indian
office over their people.
After much discourse on both sides, Plenty Coups deferred to Yellowtail and stepped
aside. The council drew up a bill, presented it to Congress and in a speech before the
Indian Affairs Committee, Robert Yellowtail set the standard for future tribal leaders to
follow. He admonished President Woodrow Wilson to remember that the American
Indian did not enjoy the same rights as other citizens. Having just returned from the
signing of the Versailles Treaty ending World War I, President Wilson was about to
present his principles for world peace, stressing a US resolution of self-determination for
all people.
Likening his people to the “small and weak” of the world, the emerging Crow leader
spoke, “Mr. Chairman, I hold that the Crow Indian Reservation is a separate, semisovereign nation in itself, not belonging to any State, nor confined within the boundary
lines of any State of the Union...no Senator or anybody else, sofar as that is concerned,
has any right to claim the right to tear us asunder by the continued introduction of bills
here without our consent simply because of our geographical proximity to his State or his
home, or because his constituents prevail upon him so to act; neither has he the right to
dictate to what we shall hold as our final homesteads in this our last stand against the ever
encroaching hand, nor continue to disturb our peace of mind by a constant agitation to
deprive us of our lands, that were, to begin with, ours, not his, and not given to us by
anybody.”
In April of 1920, the Crow Act was passed and a new era in Crow community building
and politics came about.
Beyond 1920
This new legislation didn’t ensure the tribe would be free of interference. Now though, as
more of the young Crow gained an education, they were better positioned to deal with a
future that was to become more complicated. Section II of the Crow Act gave individual
tribal members their own land bringing private property rights to the forefront. Land could
now be sold, and was, to outsiders, resulting in a loss of some of the all important land
base; although, since the early 1990s, more land than ever before is being returned to
tribal ownership through exchanges and outright purchases. This segment of the 1920 law
put a limitation on non-tribal land ownership; a stipulation that was to be enforced by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs. The BIA however was lax in complying and the regulation was
constantly violated. As a consequence, the titles of an estimated 650,000 acres are
currently clouded. A survey of Crow lands along the 107th meridian went astray, in some
place up to one mile, and deleted reservation property. With the successful 1990
settlement of this boundary fiasco, the tribe received a portion of the land back, plus an
additional 40,000 acres of school lands. Also they were granted a permanent eighty-five
million dollar trust fund; the interest from which is used for economic development,
education, and youth and elderly programs. Water rights have, until recently, been hazy.
Early on, the tribe didn’t know how much they owned and lacked management authority
over flows through the reservation. Notification that their water would be adjudicated by
the state was given in the mid-1970s; and a negotiated settlement, rather than a court
mandated measure, was reached in June, 1999, which by all appearances the Indians
benefited from. The actual contract is not final until Congress and the tribe give approval.
Negotiations are still under way to clear up some of the wrongs of the Crow Act and a
state and tribe coal severance tax question tied to the water affair. When all of this is
completed, the Crow stand to gain more resources. There have been, and continue to be,
many other controversies and concerns since 1920, such as coal development and
struggles with the National Park Service over Bighorn Canyon land and economic
benefits. But the Crow People today are in a much stronger position to handle them. More
dialogue is taking place and issues between white and red are being sorted out, in spite of
ongoing prejudices and past injustices. The Tribal Council prefers mediations over court.
A long history of friendship with whites is on record; they would like to continue in that
spirit. Common sense dictates that partnerships work far better than confrontations. A
victorious Crow delegation that defeated the efforts of a powerful US Senator in 1919
created a turning point in Crow history. Before this the Crow existed on the edge of US
society. Afterwards they slowly became part of the nation’s mainstream and selfsufficiency increased. This course continues today as positive signs of progress appear at
Crow Agency; at the same time the traditions and values of the past are not being
dismissed. Strong leadership and education through the Crow’s own Little Big Horn
College are leading the way.
Copyright © 2001 Little Big Horn College Library. All Rights Reserved
Montana, also known as the "Big Sky State" offers visitors unequaled beauty and untouched nature - visitors to
the state rarely walk away untouched. Bed & Breakfast visitors can enjoy Western hospitality, endless outdoor
activities, cultural activities such as local theater, galleries, fine dining and more. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy
downhill skiing, crosscountry skiing, fishing, hunting, hiking, rock climbing, river rafting, and more.�
www.ibbp.com/ obb/montana.html.
Major Attractions
Legend
Wheelchair
accessable
Cocktail service Picinic tables
On-site
gift shop
Restrooms
available
Food service
Glacier National Park
Crown of the continent. A million-acre wilderness national park containing more than 200 lakes, 30 to 40
living glaciers, over 1,800 species of plant life and more than 700 miles of hiking trails.
General Information
Guided Tours
Scenic and Whitewater Float Trips
Boat Rentals and Tours
Trail Rides
Backcountry Tours
Grant-Kohrs Ranch
An early cattle empire. The National Service preserves artifacts, buildings, and activities of this legendary
frontier cattle operation.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Battle of the Little Bighorn. A national monument with museum exhibits, an interpretive center, and
ranger-led programs that commemorates the site of the Indian victory over Custer's 7th Cavalry.
Gold Discovered
125 Years Later
General Information
Madison River Canyon Earthquake Area
A visitor center with interpretive displays sits at the site of a massive 1959 earthquake and landslide.
Virginia City/Nevada City
Montana's Gold Rush Revisited. Two historic, authentically restored Old West towns with entertainment,
shops, a working railroad, and accommodations.
General Information
Gold and Garnets
Yellowstone National Park
Wildlife and natural beauty abound in this, the nation's first and largest, national park.
General Information
Guided Outdoor Activities
Motorcoach Travel
Scenic and Whitewater Float Trips
http://montanagroups.com
CROW TRIBE
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE
CROW TRIBAL GOVERNMENT:
The United States Government as defined by the United States Constitution has governmental
relationships with International, Tribal, and State entities. The Tribal nations have a
government-to-government relationship with the United States. The Crow Tribe signed
treaties in the 1825, 1851, and1868 with the United States which are the legal documents
defining our relationship with the United States that established our boundaries and
recognized our rights as a sovereign government.
The Crow Reservation was established by the Treaty of 1851. The Tribal government
maintain jurisdiction within the boundaries of the reservation including all rights-of-way,
waterways, watercourses and streams running through any part of the reservation and to such
others lands as may hereafter be added to the reservation under the laws of the United States.
The Tribal government operates under a constitution approved on June 24, 1948 by the Tribal
membership. Under this constitution the tribve has a general council form of government in
which every adult enrolled member is allowed to vote if he is present during the meeting of
the General Council. One hundred or more adults constitutes a quorum of the general council.
This Council has the authority to represent, act and speak for the Tribe and its members.
General Council meetings are held on a quarterly basis or more if Tribal business is pressing.
The administration of Tribal government is conducted by the Chairman, Vice-Chairman,
Secretary and the Vice-Secretary. All Tribal members are the Council Members. The Tribal
Council Chairman is the administrative head of the Tribe and serves a two year term as do
each of the officers, all of whom are elected at large.
Tribal/Agency
Headquarters:
Counties:
Federal Reservation:
Tribal membership:
Reservation Service
Population:
Labor Force:
Unemployment rates:
Language:
Land Status:
Total Area:
Tribal Owned:
Allotted Owned:
Total Tribal/Allotted
Owned:
Non-Indian Owned:
Crow Agency
Big Horn and Yellowstone
Yes
10,030
6,498
Not available
85%
Crow and English
Acres
2,266,271
533,956
1,039,594
1,573,550
Not available
LAND:
The Crow Service Unit is located in south central Montana, and is comprised of Big Horn
(part), Carbon, Treasure, and Yellowstone counties in Montana and Big Horn and Sheridan
counties in Wyoming. The Crow Reservation’s eastern boundary is adjacent to the Northern
Cheyenne Reservation. The reservation is approximately 60 miles wide and 40 miles in
length, encompassing 1,574,394 acres. For FY 1996 the IHS Official Population for the Crow
Service Unit consists of 10,603 Indian people. The FY 1995 "User Population" is 10,254
Indian people. The majority (98 percent) of the Indian people reside in Big Hom and
Yellowstone counties in Montana.
Mountains, residual uplands, and alluvial bottoms make up the topography of the Crow
Reservation. The 3 principle mountain areas are the Wolf Mountains to the east and the Big
Horn and Pryor Mountains to the south. Sloping downward to the north from the mountains
are rolling upland plains. The plains constitute the bulk of the reservation and vary in altitude
from 3,000 to 4,500 feet. The alluvial bottomiands are located along the Big Hom River,
Little Big Hom River, and Pryor Creek drainage systems.
The principal communities located on the Crow Reservation are as follows:
CROW AGENCY -The Crow/Northem Cheyenne Hospital, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
and the Crow Tribal Government are located here. Approximately 3,245 Indian people reside
here. A 16-bed hospital is located in Hardin, Montana, approximately 12 miles from Crow
Agency. Two 250+ bed facilities located in Billings, Montana are 65 miles from Crow
Agency. Billings is considered the major medical referral center for east central Montana and
northern Wyoming.
LODGE GRASS - The Lodge Grass Health Center is located here and is approximately 22
miles south of Crow Agency. Approximately 2,125 Indian people reside here.
PRYOR - The Pryor Health Station is located here and is approximately 69 miles northwest of
Crow Agency. Approximately 1,018 Indian people reside here.
WYOLA - This community is located approximately 13 miles from Lodge Grass and
approximately 35 miles from Crow Agency. Approximately 440 Indian people reside here.
CLIMATE:
This part of Montana has a moderate climate considering its latitude. Snow seldom
accumulates for extended periods of time because of the warm Chinook winds which blow
from the mountains in the west. This portion of Montana enjoys "Indian Summers" which
frequently extend into November. This is a time of warm sunny days and cool evenings. The
mean annual temperature is 45.5oF with a summer high of 110oF and a winter low of -48oF.
The bulk of the reservation varies from 12 to 18 inches annual precipitation, depending on the
elevation.
ECONOMY:
The basis of the economy and income is the reservations land which is used directly to
support livestock operations. The Tribe owns vast and varied amounts of renewable and nonrenewable resources on the reservation which include land, sand and gravel, water and timber,
coal, oil and gas. These resources serve as the basis for revenue for the Tribe largely under
lease agreements.
Over 10,000 tribal members are enrolled and many live on the 2.5 million acres that make up
the Crow Indian Reservation. This huge reservation, approximately 60 miles wide and 40
miles long, lies in south central Montana. Members of the Tribe are employed in various
occupations. Ranching and farming, government services, coal mining, and tourism create
jobs for many of the people.
Lodge Grass, Pryor and Crow Agency have limited services and shopping, although the
staples can be attained there. A short drive of 15 minutes north of Crow Agency takes one to
the off-reservation town of Hardin where larger shopping needs can be met. A short distance
further, approximately an hour’s drive from Crow Agency takes you to Billings, the largest
city in Montana. Billings offers much in the areas of arts, entertainment and shopping.
RECREATION:
The annual Crow Fair, one of the largest powwows held in the United States, takes place at
Crow Agency every August. There is lively competition dancing, drumming and singing, as
well as food and craft concessions. Crow Agency is also near the popular tourist site of the
Battle of the Big Horn National Monument. Each year they produce an excellent re-enactment
of the battle.
Yellowtail Dam at Big Horn Canyon provides some of the finest fishing, water sports and
camping in the state of Montana.
EDUCATION:
Located on the reservation are eight elementary schools, three high schools and the Little Big
Horn Community College. Also available are public schools in both Billings and Hardin.
Montana State University - Billings, Rocky Mountain College, MSU College of Technology
at Billings, and two technical colleges as well as two beautician schools are all located in
Billings. The opportunities are endless for those desiring to further their education.
HOUSING:
The Crow Housing Authority manages housing units in the district communities and on rural
scattered sites through HUD Low rnt and Mutual Help home ownership housing programs.
Crow Agency is the headquarters of the tribal government, the Indian Health Service and the
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Government housing is available there for the Indian Health
Service professional, as well as in Lodge Grass. For those wishing private housing, both
Hardin and Billings offer homes in quite a wide price range to suit individual needs.
FUTURE:
The Tribe has identified alternative sources of income that can be defeloped to generate
revenue ihn a very short time, in the following areas: (1) Agriculture (2) Energy (3)Tourism
and Recreation (4) Commercial Institutions. Agriculture is the most important commercial
activity on the reservation. The amoutn and quality of the land and water resources would
favor increased agricultural production.
In 1996, Tribal environmental staff identified surface water contamination from an
upstream wastewater treatment plant and septic systems are contaminating surface
water used as a drinking water source and as a water source for sweat lodges as the
major reservation environmental problem which may be hazardous to the health of reservation
residents.
http://www.mnisose.org/profiles/crow.htm
The People
About 75 percent of the Crow tribe's approximately 8,000 enrolled members live on or near the
reservation. In the Hidatsa language, this tribe was called "Absarokee," which means "children of the
large-beaked bird." Other Indian tribes called them the "sharp people" because it was thought they were
crafty and alert as the bird for which they were named, probably the raven, later interpreted by white men
as "crow."
Economy
For many years the vast coal deposits under the east portion of the reservation remained untapped. One
mine is now in operation and providing royalty income and employment to tribal members. The Crow
operate only a small portion of their irrigated or dry farm acreage and about 30 percent of their grazing
land.
Location
The Crow Reservation is in southcentral Montana bordered by Wyoming on the south with its northwest
boundary about 10 miles from Billings.
Points of Interest:
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and Yellowtail Dam
Fort Smith, MT 406-666-2412
Spectacular scenery, wildlife viewing, boating, fishing and camping.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument/Reno-Benteen Battlefield
Crow Agency, MT 406-638-2621
Commemorates the site of the Indian victory over Custer's Seventh Cavalry.
Chief Plenty Coups State Park
Joliet, MT 406-252-1289
The home of Plenty Coups, the last Crow chief.
http://montanagroups.com/p62.htm
Decem
Projects»
Send
Crow Tourism Focuses on Battle Anniversary
By Michael Beaumont
Crow Cultural Affairs
(Apsaalooke Tours)
c/o Crow Tribal Council
P.O. Box 159
Crow Agency, MT
59022
Thursday, June 19
events:
-11am: Opening
Ceremonies
-2pm: Indian
Reenactment Battle of
the Little Bighorn, Real
Bird Camp
-5pm: Arrow tournament
Friday, June 20
events:
-9am: High School
Softball tournament
-2pm: Reenactment,
Real Bird Camp
-7pm: Handgame
tournament at Little
Bighorn Casino
Saturday, June 21
events:
-9am: High School
Softball tournament
(cont.)
-5pm: Rodeo,
horseraces
-9pm: Concert at
Apsaaloke Center
Sunday, June 22
events:
-8am: 5k run/bicycle
-9am: High School
Softball tournament
(cont.)
-2pm: Reenactment,
Real Bird Camp
-5pm: Rodeo, horse
races
-9pm: Pow Wow
Monday, June 23
events:
-9am: Youth Triathlon
-9am: 3-on-3 basketball
tournament
-9am: Horseshoe
competition
-1pm: Crow cultural
demonstrations
-8pm: Vincent Craig
concert
-Rodeo continued
Tuesday, June 24
events:
-9am: 3-on-3
tournament continued
-1pm: Living History
cultural demonstration
-5pm: Chairman’s
reception/Buffalo bbq
-7pm: Rodeo continued
-7pm: Indian Relay
-9pm: Pow Wow
Wednesday, June 25
events
-Sunrise Ceremony at
Little Bighorn Battlefield
-10am-4pm: Indian War
Memorial Dedication
-5pm: Ultimate Warrior
challenge
-8pm: awards ceremony
Accommodations:
Lariat Motel
709 N. Center Avenue
Hardin, MT 59034
(406) 655-2683
Super 8 Motel
201 W. 14th Street
Hardin, MT 59034
CROW AGENCY, Mont.- The Crow Tribe is preparing for one of the
most active tourist seasons in history, focusing on the anniversary of
the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Crow Native Days. Collaboration
between the National Park Service and the Affiliated Tribes of the Little
Bighorn began 17 years ago and culminated in the creation of the Indian
War Memorial.
Dedication ceremonies for the newest monument at Little Bighorn
Battlefield will coincide with festivities surrounding the 127th
anniversary of the battle.
According to Marvin Dawes, Assistant Crow Tribal Tourism Director,
the tribe has approved numerous tournaments, running events and the
annual Ultimate Warrior contest.
"We’ve organized a lot of events so that we can attract the younger
people," he said. "We want to get them involved so that they’re not out
on the streets."
Kicking off the week-long celebration will be the annual Real Bird
Reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Other events include
arrow throwing, hand games, softball and basketball tournaments,
running challenges, concerts and a rodeo.
The annual Ultimate Warrior contest has become more popular since
its inception 2001, rewarding $6000 for first, second and third places
combined. The 18 mile-long event involves riding a horse, canoeing
along the Bighorn River, and distance running. Each arm of the course
is in six-mile increments, and includes men’s and women’s teams.
Aside from physical challenges, event coordinators have organized
cultural history demonstrations that will include Crow traditional food
preparation and craftwork.
(406) 665-1700
American Inn
1324 N. Crawford
Avenue
Hardin, MT 59034
(406) 665-1870
Western Motel
(406) 665-2296
KOA campground
Route 1 Box 1009
Hardin, MT 59034
(406) 665-1635
Hotel Becker Bed and
Breakfast
200 North Center
Avenue
Hardin, MT 59034
(406) 665-3074
Battlefield:
Telephone: (406) 6381876
Fax: (406) 638-2019
email:
info@custermuseum.org
website for battlefield:
www.custermuseum.org
Vincent Craig, a Navajo musician and motivational speaker, is planning to perform at the event. Having served as
act for renowned country artists Shenandoah and Dwight Yoakum, he wants to share the message concerning Nat
American young people.
"It is our duty to nurture our youth to not be afraid to express themselves through music, drama, literature to allow
dreams to take flight," he said.
Through the Crow Cultural Affairs office and the Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance, Dawes has received inquiries f
Europe, Asia and Australia concerning the event.
"The seven tribes of Montana all work together to promote tourism to the different reservations," said Dawes. "Th
the Alliance, we’ve generated a lot of publicity through word-of-mouth and by attending different tourism confere
Apsaalooke Tours, (ap-sah-loo-kah, or "Crow"), which was organized by the Tribe, specializes in touring cultural s
the reservation. The company has itinerary-based tours, as well as customized packages. Some of the areas of inter
include the Battlefield, Big Horn Canyon, and Chief Plenty Coups State Park.
"Some groups just want a presentation at the Battlefield or at the college. Other times we get requests for the entir
reservation. It all depends," said Dawes.
Apsaalooke Tours caters to customers, serving traditional Crow fare prepared by Dawes’ family. Deer and Elk, pot
flat bread, dry meat stew and berry pudding are all served for around $25 dollars per meal. Depending on the
specifications, the company creates special menus, including vegetarian and vegan options.
"A lot of people expect to eat an Indian Taco…that’s not what we do. The Crow people didn’t create that. We serve
thing," said Dawes.
Through Apsaalooke Tours and the Alliance, the Crow Cultural Affairs office hopes to welcome all visitors and gen
publicity for future events. Anyone interested in the event or tourist opportunities can reach the Crow Cultural Aff
office at (406) 638-3774.
Michael Beaumont is a full-time student at LBHC majoring in education. He lives in Billings, Mont. He can be reached at mbeaumont21@hot
or lbhc_magpie@hotmail.com
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Reznet is a project of The University of Montana School of Journalism
and the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Comments?
http://www.reznetnews.org/projects/magpie/health/030224_tourism/
Unemployment Rate, 2003 (Montana L&I)
http://ceic.commerce.state.mt.us/MTQuickFacts.htm
The Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance is a non-profit
intertribal organization that works to promote
culturally appropriate economic development
through tourism.
http://www.bigskytribes.com/about_mtta.htm
In the year 2002 over 900 000 groups (out of four million that visited Montana) travelled
through Crow Country
Montana : most attractive fishing, wildlife watching, visiting Native American sites
4.7%