Crow people facts for kids
| Apsáalooke | |
|---|---|
Pauline Small on horseback. She carries the flag of the Crow Tribe of Montana. As a tribal official, she is entitled to carry the flag during the Crow Fair parade.
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| Total population | |
| 12,000 enrolled citizens | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States (Montana) | |
| Languages | |
| Crow, English, Plains Sign Talk | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Crow Way, Tobacco Society | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Hidatsa |
| Apsáalooke "children of the raven" |
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|---|---|
| People | Apsáalooke |
| Language | Apsáalooke aliláau Apsáalooke iiéhkuua |
| Country | Apsáalooke Issawua |
The Crow people, also known as Apsáalooke, are a Native American tribe. They mostly live in southern Montana today. The Crow Tribe of Montana is officially recognized by the United States government. They have their own land, called the Crow Indian Reservation, in south-central Montana.
The Crow are a Plains tribe. They speak the Crow language, which is part of the Siouan language family. In 2007, about 3,000 of the 14,000 tribal members spoke the Crow language.
Long ago, the Crow lived in the Yellowstone River valley. This area stretched through what is now Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. As the United States expanded westward, the Crow teamed up with the Americans. They fought against their rivals, the Dakota, Lakota, and Cheyenne tribes.
Since the 1800s, most Crow people have lived on their reservation. It is located south of Billings, Montana. Many Crow also live in big cities in the Western U.S. Their main government office is in Crow Agency, Montana. The tribe also runs Little Big Horn College.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The Crow people call themselves Apsáalooké, or Absaroka. This name means "children of the large-beaked bird." It was given to them by the Hidatsa, a related tribe. French explorers translated this as gens du corbeau, meaning "people of the crow." This is how they became known as the Crow in English.
Other tribes also call the Apsáalooke "crow" or "raven" in their languages. No one is sure which bird the name first referred to. Many Apsáalooké believe it refers to the powerful, mythical Thunderbird.
A Look at Crow History
Moving to the Northern Plains
The Crow and Hidatsa tribes originally lived in the Ohio area. They moved west, eventually settling south of Lake Winnipeg around the 1100s or 1200s. They farmed and hunted bison in settled villages. But in the mid-1500s, the Ojibwe and Cree tribes pushed them further west.
Later, the Crow moved to the Devil's Lake area in North Dakota. In the late 1600s, the Crow separated from the Hidatsa and moved even further west. They were often pushed by the Cheyenne and then the Sioux (Lakota) tribes.
To control their new lands, the Crow fought against Shoshone groups. They drove these groups westward. The Crow also made friends with local Kiowa and Plains Apache tribes. These tribes later moved south. The Crow remained strong in their area through the 1700s and 1800s.
Their traditional lands were vast. They stretched from Yellowstone National Park in the west to the Missouri River in the northeast. This included many river valleys and mountain ranges.
Once they settled in the Yellowstone River Valley, the Crow divided into four main groups. These were the Mountain Crow, River Crow, Kicked in the Bellies, and Beaver Dries its Fur. They changed from being semi-nomadic farmers to nomadic hunters and gatherers. They became skilled at hunting bison on the plains. Before 1700, they used dog travois to carry their belongings.
Friends and Foes
Around 1730, Plains tribes quickly started using horses. Horses helped them hunt buffalo much more easily. The Crow, Hidatsa, and Shoshone became known for raising and trading horses. They had large herds. Other tribes also moved onto the Plains, looking for game and horses.
The Crow often faced raids and horse thefts from tribes like the Blackfoot, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Pawnee, and Ute. Later, the Lakota and their allies, the Arapaho and Cheyenne, also stole horses from them. The Blackfoot and the Lakota-Cheyenne-Arapaho alliance became their biggest enemies.
In the 1700s, the Crow were pushed west by the Saulteaux and Cree tribes. These tribes had better access to guns through the fur trade. The Lakota also pushed the Crow further west, taking over lands west of the Missouri River. The Cheyenne eventually became allies with the Lakota. They both wanted to remove European Americans from the area. The Crow, however, remained strong enemies of the Sioux and Cheyenne.
The Crow kept a large reservation of over 9,300 square kilometers. This was partly because they worked with the U.S. government against their traditional enemies. Many other tribes were forced onto much smaller reservations far from their original lands.
The Crow were generally friendly with tribes like the Flathead, Nez Perce, Kutenai, Shoshone, Kiowa, and Plains Apache. However, the powerful Iron Confederacy, an alliance of northern plains tribes, became enemies of the Crow.
Historical Groups
By the early 1800s, the Apsáalooke had three main groups. They only came together for defense:
- Mountain Crow (Ashalaho): This was the largest group. They were the first to move west from the Hidatsa. Their leader, No Intestines, had a vision and led his group to find sacred tobacco. They settled in southeastern Montana. They lived in the Rocky Mountains and foothills.
- River Crow (Binnéessiippeele): This group split from the Hidatsa over a dispute about a bison stomach. They lived along the Yellowstone and Musselshell rivers. This area was known as the Powder River Country.
- Kicked in the Bellies (Eelalapito): They lived in the Bighorn Basin, from the Bighorn Mountains to the Absaroka Range.
Crow oral history also mentions a fourth group, the Bilapiluutche. They may have joined the Kiowa tribe in the late 1600s.
Losing Traditional Lands
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When many European Americans arrived, the Crow were already fighting enemies who outnumbered them. In the 1850s, a young boy named Plenty Coups had a vision. He later became a great chief. His vision suggested that white people would become powerful. It also suggested that the Crow should stay friendly with them to keep their land.
By 1851, the Lakota and Cheyenne were south and east of Crow territory. These enemy tribes wanted the Crow's hunting lands. They fought the Crow and took over their eastern hunting grounds. This pushed the Crow further west along the Yellowstone. After 1860, the Lakota Sioux claimed all former Crow lands from the Black Hills to the Big Horn Mountains.
The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 confirmed a large area as Crow lands. This area was centered on the Big Horn Mountains. However, the Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux had been moving west for two centuries. They continued to pressure the Crow.
Red Cloud's War (1866–1868) was a fight between the Lakota Sioux and the U.S. military. It was over the Bozeman Trail, a route to the Montana gold fields. The Lakota won this war. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 then gave the Lakota control over the high plains. This included lands that had been Crow territory. Lakota leaders like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, along with their Cheyenne allies, hunted and raided in eastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming.
On June 25, 1876, the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne won a big battle against U.S. forces. This was the Battle of the Little Big Horn, which happened on the Crow Indian Reservation. However, the Great Sioux War (1876–1877) ended with the defeat of the Sioux and Cheyenne. Crow warriors helped the U.S. Army in this war. The Sioux and their allies were forced out of eastern Montana and Wyoming. Some went to Canada, while others were moved to distant reservations.
In 1918, the Crow started a gathering to share their culture. They invited members of other tribes. This event, the Crow Fair, is now held every year in August. Many tribes participate.
Important Dates in Crow History
The Early Years (1600s-1700s)
Around 1675–1700, a group of Crow left the Hidatsa villages in North Dakota. They moved west to the lower Yellowstone River. They were becoming buffalo hunters on the open plains.
Before 1765, the Crow held a Sun Dance. A Crow person with special power gave a sacred doll to a poor Arapaho man. This doll helped him gain status and many horses. The Kiowa tribe still uses this doll in their Sun Dance. They believe it came from the Crow.
The 1800s: Conflicts and Treaties
The Crow and Lakota continued to fight in the early 1800s. In 1800–1801, the Crow killed at least thirty Lakota. The next year, the Lakota and Cheyenne destroyed a Crow camp.
In 1805, a fur trader named Francois-Antoine Larocque traveled with a Crow camp. He journeyed with them across the plains to the Yellowstone area. The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through Crow lands in 1806 but did not meet the Crow.
The first trading post in Crow country was built in 1807. It was called Fort Raymond or Fort Lisa. Other forts followed, like Fort Benton and Fort Cass. These were built near where the Yellowstone and Bighorn rivers meet.
In 1819, a Crow camp stopped thirty Cheyenne warriors from stealing horses. The next year, the Cheyenne and Lakota destroyed a Crow camp at Tongue River. This was one of the worst attacks on a Crow camp in history.
In 1825, Crow chiefs signed the first treaty of friendship with the United States. They recognized the U.S. government. However, some Crow leaders, like Arapooish, were not happy about it.
Chief Arapooish died on September 17, 1834. He was killed by Blackfeet warriors. The smallpox epidemic of 1837 did not affect the Crow as much as other tribes. Some Hidatsa joined the River Crows to escape the disease.
Mid-1800s: More Changes
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In 1851, the Crow, Sioux, and other tribes signed the Fort Laramie treaty with the U.S. This treaty was meant to bring peace and define tribal lands. However, the Sioux soon ignored the borders and moved into Crow territory.
The Crow often fought large battles against the invading Sioux. Around 1860, the Crow lost the western Powder River area.
During the 1860s, the Sioux were unhappy about the Bozeman Trail. This trail went through their buffalo hunting lands. The Crow worked with the U.S. Army to protect the trail. In 1866, the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho defeated U.S. forces at Fort Phil Kearny. This showed that the U.S. could not enforce the treaty borders.
In 1868, a new Fort Laramie treaty gave the Sioux control over the Crow's Powder River area. The Crow then gave up large parts of their land to the U.S. They accepted a smaller reservation south of the Yellowstone River.
After this, the Sioux and their allies focused on fighting other tribes. They often raided the Crow. Crow chief Plenty Coups remembered, "The three worst enemies our people had were combined against us."
In 1870, the Sioux attacked a group of 30 Crow warriors. Almost all the Crow were killed. Sioux chief Sitting Bull took part in this battle. The Sioux continued to take over parts of the Crow reservation in the early 1870s.
Late 1800s: The Great Sioux War
In 1875, Crow chief Long Horse was killed fighting the Sioux. The Crow then joined the U.S. during the Great Sioux War in 1876–1877. They enlisted as Army scouts to fight their traditional enemies.
Famous Crow leaders like Medicine Crow and Plenty Coups fought in the Rosebud Battle. The Battle of the Little Bighorn also happened on the Crow reservation. It was a clash between the Sioux and the U.S. Army. When the Crow learned about Custer's defeat, they mourned for their scouts and the soldiers.
In 1878, a large Crow camp celebrated the victory over the Sioux with Colonel Nelson A. Miles. In 1882, the U.S. government pressured the Crow to give up more land for ranchers.
Crow Culture
Food and Hunting
The main food for the Crow was the American bison. They hunted bison in many ways. Before horses, hunters would sneak close to the bison on foot. They often wore wolf disguises. Then they would chase the animals and kill them with arrows or lances.
Horses made bison hunting much easier. Riders would make the herd stampede. They would then shoot the bison with arrows or bullets from horseback. Besides bison, the Crow also hunted bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, and bear.
Bison meat was often roasted or boiled in stews with prairie turnips. The rump, tongue, liver, heart, and kidneys were special treats. Dried bison meat was mixed with fat and berries to make pemmican. The Crow also gathered wild foods like elderberries, wild turnips, and Saskatoon berries.
The Crow often hunted bison by using buffalo jumps. "Where Buffaloes are Driven Over Cliffs at Long Ridge" was a favorite spot. The Crow used this place every autumn from 1700 to about 1870. On the day of the jump, a medicine man would pray for success. Then, drivers would guide the bison towards the cliffs.
Homes and Travel
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The traditional Crow home is the tipi. It is made with bison hides stretched over wooden poles. The Crow were known for building some of the largest tipis. Tipi poles came from the lodgepole pine tree.
Inside a tipi, buffalo-hide seats and mattresses were placed around the edge. A fireplace was in the center. Smoke escaped through a hole at the top. Tipis were easy to set up and take down. They were also lightweight, perfect for nomadic people like the Crow.
When a tipi was taken down, the poles were used to make a travois. A travois is a frame pulled by a horse. Plains Indians used it to carry belongings and small children. Many Crow families still own and use tipis today, especially for events like the annual Crow Fair. The Crow Fair is known as the largest gathering of tipis in the world.
Horses were the most common way the Crow traveled. They got horses by trading and raiding other tribes. The Crow had very large horse herds. In 1914, they had about thirty to forty thousand horses. Horses were very important to the Crow economy. They were valuable trade items and a sign of wealth. Horses also made the Crow powerful warriors. They could perform amazing tricks in battle, like hanging under a galloping horse while shooting arrows.
Before horses, dogs were important. They were used as guards and to carry things. When horses arrived, fewer dogs were needed for carrying loads.
Clothing and Style
Crow clothing was different for men and women. Women wore dresses made of deer and buffalo hide. These were decorated with elk teeth or shells. In winter, they wore leggings and moccasins. Crow women usually wore their hair in two braids.
Men's clothing included a shirt, leggings with a belt, a long breechcloth, and moccasins. Bison robes were often worn in winter. Leggings were made from animal hide or wool. Wool leggings were valuable trade items from Europe. Crow men wore their hair long, sometimes reaching the ground. They were famous for their pompadour hairstyle, often colored with white paint. They also wore two hair pipes made from beads on the sides of their hair. Beaver or otter fur was used to wrap braids. Bear grease gave hair a shine. Warriors and medicine men sometimes wore stuffed birds or feathers in their hair.
The Crow are famous for their detailed beadwork. They decorated almost everything with beads. This included clothing, horses, cradles, and ceremonial items. They used leather from buffalo, deer, and elk. Crow women did the beadwork. Some were experts and helped younger women with designs.
The Crow developed their own beadwork style, called the "overlay" or "Crow Stitch." They mostly used geometric shapes like triangles, diamonds, and hourglass figures. They used many colors, but blues and pinks were common. A white outline often made a color or shape stand out.
The colors had special meanings. Pinks represented the rising sun, with yellow for the East. Blues symbolized the sky. Red meant the setting sun or the West. Green stood for Mother Earth. Black meant defeating an enemy. White represented clouds, rain, or sleet. While colors had common meanings, the meaning of shapes could be personal. A triangle might mean a tipi to one person, a spearhead to another, or mountains to a third. The beadwork showed their connection to the land and sky. It also showed a person's achievements. For example, a warrior who defeated an enemy would return with a blackened face. This black color would then be used in his war clothing.
A beaded robe, often given to a bride, could take over a year to make. It was usually made by the groom's mother or another female relative. These robes often had light blue horizontal lines. These lines represented the young woman's new role as a wife and mother. Today, the Crow still decorate their clothing with beautiful bead designs for powwows and everyday wear.
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Painting of Holds The Enemy, a Crow warrior with a split horn headdress and beaded wool leggings by E. A. Burbank
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Hó-ra-tó-a, a Crow warrior with a headdress, bison robe, and hair reaching the ground. Painted by George Catlin, Fort Union 1832.
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Crow moccasins
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Crow moccasins, around 1940
Family and Society
The Crow had a matrilineal system. This means that family lines were traced through the mother. After marriage, a husband would move to his wife's mother's house. Women played a very important role in the tribe.
Crow kinship is a system for describing family members. It was identified by Lewis Henry Morgan in 1871. The Crow system is one of six main types of kinship systems.
The Crow also recognized a special status for male-bodied individuals called baté or badé. One famous baté was Osh-Tisch.
The Crow Today
Where the Crow Live Now
The Crow Indian Reservation is in south-central Montana. It covers about 2.3 million acres (9,300 square kilometers). This makes it the fifth-largest Indian reservation in the United States. Most of the reservation is in Big Horn and Yellowstone counties.
The reservation's eastern border is the 107th meridian line, except where it meets the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The southern border runs from the 107th meridian west to the Big Horn River. The northern border goes east through Hardin, Montana. In 2000, 6,894 people lived on the reservation. Its largest town is Crow Agency.
How the Crow Tribe is Governed
Before 2001, the Crow Tribe of Montana was governed by its 1948 constitution. This constitution created a general council. This council included all adult Crow tribal members. It held the government's executive, legislative, and judicial powers. This was a form of direct democracy.
In 2001, the Crow Tribe created a new constitution. This new constitution set up a government with three separate branches. The general council is still the main governing body in theory. However, it has not met since the 2001 constitution was put in place.
The executive branch has four officials: a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and vice-secretary. These officials also lead the Crow Tribal General Council.
The legislative branch has three members from each of the reservation's six districts. These districts are The Valley of the Chiefs, Reno, Black Lodge, Mighty Few, Big Horn, and Pryor. The Valley of the Chiefs District has the most people.
The judicial branch includes all courts set up by the Crow Law and Order Code. It handles all legal matters defined in the code. The judicial branch aims to be separate from the other two branches. It has an elected Chief Judge and two Associate Judges. The Crow Court of Appeals handles all appeals from lower courts. The current Chief Judge of the Crow Tribe is Julie Yarlott.
Constitution Discussions
There was some debate about the 2001 constitution. The 1948 constitution said that changes must be voted on by secret ballot. However, in 2001, the former Chairperson Birdinground made changes without following these rules. Resolutions, including the one to approve a new constitution, were passed by voice vote.
Critics said the new constitution was not right for the Crow Tribe. They argued it gave the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) too much power over Crow decisions. The Crow people have always protected their independence and treaty rights. The new constitution was not voted on to be added to the council's agenda. Also, constitutional changes were supposed to happen in a special election, which did not happen for the 2001 constitution.
When people challenged these changes, the Birdinground Administration asked the U.S. Department of the Interior (USDOI) and the BIA for approval. They said they could not get involved in tribal matters. A federal court also said it was an internal tribal issue.
Crow Leadership
The main government office and capital of the Crow Indian Reservation is Crow Agency, Montana.
Historically, the Crow Tribe elected a chairperson every two years. In 2001, the term was changed to four years. The chairperson acts as the chief executive officer and leader of the Crow Tribal Council. The 2001 changes created a three-branch government. The chairperson leads the executive branch.
On May 19, 2008, Hartford and Mary Black Eagle of the Crow Tribe adopted U.S. Senator (and later President) Barack Obama into the tribe. This happened during his first visit as a presidential candidate. Crow representatives also took part in President Obama's inaugural parade. In 2009, Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2020, Tribal Chairman AJ Not Afraid Jr. supported President Donald Trump's reelection. He also supported Republicans Steve Daines for the Senate, Greg Gianforte for Governor, and Matt Rosendale for the U.S. House.
Notable Crow People
- Eldena Bear Don't Walk (born around 1973): A lawyer, judge, and politician. She was the first woman to be the Chief Justice of the Crow Tribe.
- Max Big Man: An educator, artist, and honorary chief. He created educational programs with CBS Radio.
- Earl Biss (1947–1998): A painter.
- Bull Chief (born around 1825): A war chief who fought against many tribes and resisted white settlement.
- Curly (also known as Ashishishe, around 1856 – 1923): An Indian Scout and warrior.
- Goes Ahead (also Walks Among the Stars, 1851–1919): An Indian Scout and warrior, husband of Pretty Shield.
- Hairy Moccasin (around 1854 – 1922): A Crow Indian Scout and warrior.
- Half Yellow Face (around 1830 – around 1879): A Crow Indian Scout and war leader. He led the six Crow Scouts who helped General George A. Custer.
- Issaatxalúash, also Two Leggings (mid-1840s – 1923): A local group leader of the River Crow and a war leader.
- Donald Laverdure: A Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs.
- Joe Medicine Crow (1913–2016): The last war chief of the Crow Tribe. He was an educator, historian, author, and official anthropologist.
- Elias Not Afraid (born 1990): An Apsáalooke artist known for his traditional and modern beadwork.
- Janine Pease: An American Indian educator and advocate. She was the first Crow woman to earn a doctorate degree.
- Wendy Red Star: A visual artist.
- Plenty Coups: A Crow chief who worked with the government. This helped the Crow keep much of their traditional lands.
- Pretty Eagle: A war chief who worked with Plenty Coups to ensure the tribe's cooperation with the federal government.
- Pretty Shield (around 1856 – 1944): A medicine woman and wife of Goes Ahead.
- Shows as He Goes: A war chief.
- Pauline Small (1924–2005): The first woman to serve in the Crow Tribal Council.
- Frank Shively (around 1877): A football coach.
- Supaman (also Christian Parrish Takes the Gun): A rapper and fancy dancer.
- Noah Watts (also Bulaagawish): An actor and musician. He is known for his role as Ratonhnhaké:ton in Assassin's Creed III.
- Bethany Yellowtail: A fashion designer based in Los Angeles.
- Robert Yellowtail (1889–1988): A leader of the Crow Tribe. He was the first Native American to be an Agency Superintendent.
- Thomas Yellowtail (1903–1993): A medicine man and Sun Dance Chief of the Crow Tribe.
- White Man Runs Him (around 1858 – 1929): A Crow Indian Scout and warrior. He was the step-grandfather of Joe Medicine Crow.
- White Swan (around 1850 – 1904): An Indian Scout and warrior.
See also
In Spanish: Crow para niños
- Absaroka: A proposed state that would have included parts of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
- Crow religion
- James Beckwourth: A Black chief of the Crow tribe.
- Pine Leaf: A female chief of the Crow tribe.
