Crow religion facts for kids

The Crow religion is the traditional spiritual path of the Crow people. They are Native Americans who live in the Great Plains area of the United States. Their beliefs are very old and connect them deeply to the world around them.

The Creator God

In the Crow language, the Creator has many names. Some of these are Akbaatatdia (meaning "One Who Has Made Everything"), Iichíkbaalee (meaning "First Doer"), and Isáahkawuattee (meaning "Old Man Coyote"). All these names refer to one powerful God who the Crow believe created the whole universe.

The Crow believe the universe has three worlds:

• The physical world, which is the smallest.
• The spirit world.
• The world where God lives alone.

Crow Creation Stories

One famous Crow story tells how the physical world was made. Old Man Coyote (OMC) was floating alone on a huge ocean. He saw two male ducks. He asked one duck to dive deep into the water. The duck came up with a root. Then, after another dive, it brought up mud.

Old Man Coyote used this mud to build an island, and then all the lands of the Earth. But the Earth was empty! So, Old Man Coyote used the root to create plants and trees. The Earth was still too flat, so he shaped the land to make rivers, mountains, and all the natural features we see today.

Still, something was missing. Old Man Coyote and the ducks wanted friends. So, he shaped the first Man from clay. To make Man happy, he also created Women so they could be together and have families. He even made female ducks so the ducks could be happy too! Later, Old Man Coyote met another Coyote, and together they created all the animals on Earth.

The Crow believe that long ago, they were very close to God and prayed all the time. But over time, they forgot to pray, and bad things started to happen. They believe that by praying again, they can become strong and successful. Many Crow people seek a personal connection with God to find success in their own lives.

Crow Spiritual Beliefs

Crow people often call the physical world "Grandmother Earth." This helps them express that God created everything around them. God is seen as "Above," meaning superior and powerful, not just physically in the sky.

Since God created everything, the Crow believe that God's power is in all things. This means that everything in nature is sacred and special. Because God is everywhere and all-powerful, Crow people feel connected to God in every part of their daily lives.

This belief also makes the Crow very accepting of other religions. Thomas Yellowtail, a respected Crow medicine man, used a wagon wheel to explain religious belief. He said each spoke of the wheel represents a different people and religion. If one spoke is missing, the wheel won't work. This means all religions are important and needed to form the "circle of life." All spokes are connected to the center, which is the Creator. So, all religions and people are connected to God, and all are good ways to find a spiritual connection. Because of this, Crow people can take part in different religions. It's up to each person to decide what works best for them.

Many traditional Crow religious practices likely developed between 1725 and 1770. This was a time of big changes, especially after the Crow got their first horses from the Comanche tribe in the 1730s.

Baaxpée, Xapáaliia and Spirits

The sacred power of God is called Baaxpée. It means "power beyond the ordinary." When this power shows up in the physical world, it's called Xapáaliia. People often call Xapáaliia "medicine." It acts like a special tool or gift from God that helps a Crow person use Baaxpée.

To get Baaxpée, a Crow person must receive it from a spirit, called an Iilápxe. These are supernatural helpers from the spirit world. The spirit world is between the physical world and God's world. So, spirits are seen as messengers between humans and God. They can give Baaxpée to people.

The Crow believe the world is full of spirits. These spirits often appear as animals, like buffalo, birds, and bears, which are highly respected. Stars, also created by God, are very sacred, and their spirits can also connect with humans.

The type of spirit often shows what kind of Baaxpée it will give. For example, an Elk spirit, known for being strong, might give a gift of increased strength. A squirrel spirit, which stores food for winter, might help a tribe find food. Even small details, like a grey-haired spirit, could mean a gift of long life. Each spirit and the Baaxpée it gives are unique to the person who receives the vision.

Vision Quests

In the past, before reservations, Crow people could get Baaxpée in two main ways. One way was by going on a vision quest. People went on vision quests for many reasons. Some wanted to be cured from sickness, others wanted strength to defeat enemies, and many wanted God's blessing to guide them through life. The Baaxpée a person sought was usually very personal and specific to their needs.

Before starting a quest, a Crow might visit a medicine man. The medicine man would help them figure out what kind of Baaxpée would help them most. He would also review the prayers and rituals to make sure everything was done correctly.

For the quest itself, a Crow person would go alone to a quiet, high place, often a hill peak like those in the Wolf Mountains. This was to find complete solitude for their special prayer.

The ritual is called bilisshíissanne in Crow, which means "to fast from water." The person promises not to eat or drink for two to three days. This shows their strong devotion to God through sacrifice. Sometimes, they would also endure physical hardship as an offering to God and to show their dedication. The goal of these sacrifices was to show they were willing to give everything to God and to gain the pity of a spirit, who represents God. When a spirit felt pity, it would cause a vision where the spirit adopted the Crow person and gave them Baaxpée.

The relationship between the spirit and the Crow is like that of a parent and child. The spirit, often called a "Medicine Father," guides the Crow person through life. However, the Baaxpée gained is only borrowed from the spirit, not given forever. The Crow person needs to keep praying to their spirit helper to keep their connection strong and the Baaxpée powerful.

After the quest, the Crow person would return home. They often visited a medicine man to talk about their vision and fully understand its meaning. To remember their experience, they would create a Xapáaliia. This object would represent their spirit helper and the power they gained. It also helped them use and keep their Baaxpée.

For each person, their Xapáaliia could be anything they felt represented their bond with their spirit helper. For example, if an eagle was their spirit, they might take an eagle's feather as their Xapáaliia. Each Crow's Baaxpée and vision are unique and cannot be given to another person.

However, the Xapáaliia itself is a physical, powerful, and sacred object. It can be passed down to family members after someone dies, or given to Crow people who cannot receive their own vision. If a Xapáaliia was known to be very powerful, many people might ask to use it. The owner decides who they will share it with. The powers that Xapáaliia gives usually help with everyday concerns, like finding food, staying healthy, gaining wealth, or winning against enemies. To keep their Xapáaliia pure and their spirit helper happy, it was very important that it did not touch anything considered impure. If it did, it was believed to offend the Medicine Father and could bring sickness.

The Sun Dance

Another way Crow people in the 1800s sought Baaxpée was through the Sun Dance (aškišširissu-a). Unlike the vision quest, the Sun Dance is a public ceremony. Individuals perform it for the good of the whole tribe. It helps keep the Crow's connection to God strong, bringing good fortune and happiness to everyone.

Some historians believe the Sun Dance ceremony came from the Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and Atsina tribes. The Sun Dance was banned on the Crow reservation in 1887. This was part of an effort by the government to change Native American cultures.

The practice was brought back in 1941 by William Big Day. He had attended a Shoshone Sun Dance and felt a strong spiritual connection. He believed bringing it back would bring happiness to his tribe. By the 1990s, about five Sun Dances were held each summer. In the late 1980s, a Teton-Sioux version of the Sun Dance was also introduced. This led to some dances having a mix of Shoshone and Teton traditions.

The Sweat Lodge Ceremony

A smaller but very important ritual is the sweat lodge. This ceremony is practiced alone, but it's also a key step before the Sun Dance. Tribal members believe it cleanses the body and prepares the soul for the Sun Dance. The Sweat Lodge is often called the "Little Lodge," like a smaller brother to the "Big Lodge" where the Sun Dance happens.

The Sweat Lodge is built like the Big Lodge. It has twelve poles, and its door faces east to welcome the Sun. In the center, a pit about 2 feet by 2 feet is dug. Hot rocks are placed in this pit, heated by a fire outside the lodge to the east. One person is in charge of placing the rocks while others sit and pray quietly. The first four rocks are placed in a cross shape, representing the four directions of the wind and the circle of life.

Once all the rocks are in, the ceremony begins. First, some water is poured on the rocks, creating steam. This is called "April Showers." Then, the ceremony has four main parts, with short breaks in between. During the first part, four dips of water are poured. In the second, seven dips. In the third, ten. And in the fourth, a large, uncounted number of dips. The ceremony is believed to purify the participants, preparing them for the Sun Dance. The Sun Dance is seen as a spiritual challenge, and being pure gives a Crow person spiritual strength.

The exact origin of the Sweat Lodge is not fully known. Thomas Yellowtail believed it came from a story about Seven Bison and their human friend fighting a powerful bison named Bones Together. In the story, the Seven Bison break their legs trying to fight Bones Together. Their human friend prays to God and is blessed by an eagle, who gives him the Baaxpée to turn into a feather. He defeats Bones Together. But his friends are hurt. So, they perform the Sweat Lodge ceremony, which heals all the bison. Afterward, the Seven Bison become the Big Dipper in the sky, and the man becomes the Little Dipper. The Sweat Lodge is also mentioned in other stories, showing its great power.

The Sun Dance Lodge: Building and Meaning

After purification, the Sun Dance ceremony can begin. First, the "Big Lodge," or Ashé Isée, is built. Understanding its construction helps explain the dance and its deep meaning. The Lodge was the closest thing the Crow had to a church before reservations. The community builds it on land owned by the dance sponsor.

The sponsor is usually a respected person who wants a special blessing from God or had a vision telling them to dance. The sponsor's job is to gather all the materials for the lodge, plan the dance, and make sure the rituals and songs are done correctly.

The most important part of the lodge is the central pole. A forked tree is chosen by the sponsor and cut down with respect and prayer. If sap comes out of the stump, it's a good sign, and Crow people will bless themselves with it. The tree is then brought to the ceremony site and set upright, with the fork facing east.

A white flag is tied to one branch of the fork, and a blue flag to the other. White represents the earth, and blue represents the sky. Tobacco is also attached to help the Crow communicate with God. Three rings are drawn on the pole with charcoal. These symbolize the three days of the dance and the three worlds of the Crow universe. The black charcoal represents victory. In this way, the pole becomes a symbol of God, a path for Baaxpée to flow into the dancers.

The head of a buffalo and the body of an eagle are also hung on the central pole. These are spirit helpers that dancers might see come alive during the ceremony. Around this central pole, twelve cottonwood posts are placed, about forty feet away, forming the boundaries of the lodge. The doorway is on the east side.

These twelve poles represent Crow spirituality. When connected by rafters to the central pole, they show the Crow's connection to God, like Thomas Yellowtail's wagon wheel. The twelve posts also represent the twelve months of the year in the Crow life cycle. By forming a circle, they symbolize the circle of life itself. For Crow people today who follow both traditional beliefs and Christianity, the twelve posts can also symbolize the twelve apostles, and the three rings on the center pole can symbolize the three days Christ spent in his tomb. The Sun Dance lodge is designed to focus God's Baaxpée, giving visions and blessings to the participants and the whole tribe.

The Sun Dance Ceremony

Once the lodge is built, the ceremony starts. Like the vision quest, the Sun Dance is a way for Crow people to show their devotion. They fast, dance constantly, and physically exhaust themselves while praying to God in the lodge, which is heated by the sun all day.

In the past, the main goal of the Sun Dance was for a person who had lost a family member to get God's blessing to seek justice against those responsible. However, with peace on the reservations, the purpose changed. Today, people perform the Sun Dance for many reasons, such as renewing the seasons, getting God's blessing, or sometimes to gain sacred power for difficult times. Even though a Sun Dance might aim to bring good luck to the tribe, each dancer also has their own personal reasons for participating. Some might want to receive Baaxpée through visions from dancing, while others might want to cure illnesses for themselves or a sick family member. No matter their reason, all dancers promise to dance for the full announced time.

During the ceremony, dancers keep their eyes fixed on an idol on the central pole. As a Crow dances and gets more tired, the figures seem to come alive and dance with them. This eventually causes the dancer to collapse and have a vision. If a dancer stared at the Buffalo head and danced long enough for the spirit to come alive, it was believed the spirit would "charge" the participant, causing them to have a "hard fall" and a vision. When a dancer collapsed into a vision, other tribe members gently moved them aside to let the vision continue. When the dancer woke up, they felt renewed and quickly rejoined the ritual.

Drummers play a very important role in helping dancers achieve these visions. Regular drum rhythms help dancers keep going, while irregular beats can make them tired. When drummers see a dancer having a vision, they increase the strength of their drumming to help them have a "hard fall." The Drum chief often prays for the dancers, using tobacco smoke to help them endure their sacrifice.

In the 1800s, the Sun Dance could last several days. Today, it usually lasts for three days. Each day, Crow people gather in the lodge just before dawn, facing east to welcome the morning sun. When the first rays appear, they perform the Sunrise Ceremony. Participants try to absorb the sun's power while praying, dancing, blowing on eagle bone whistles, and singing the Sunrise song. During this ceremony, it's forbidden to walk across the lodge entrance, as this breaks the connection between the dancers and the sun. If someone needs to move, they must walk around the back of the building.

On the first day, participants dress simply to show their humility to God. On the second day, as dancers become more tired, they wear bright clothes, face paint, and their strongest "medicines" to help them in their spiritual journey. To help them through this difficult second day, and to honor their sacrifice, tribe members offer gifts and advice. They also build willow structures in the lodge to provide shade and support for the dancers. Willow is important because it's linked with coolness, offering symbolic relief to the thirsty participants. These structures were often painted yellow, a color linked to the eagle, which the Crow believe is a messenger to God.

The ceremony usually ends at noon on the third day. The fast is broken by drinking blessed water brought by the women of the tribe. After drinking, prayers are said to thank the dancers for their sacrifice, and the whole tribe takes part in a big feast. By renewing their connection with God, the Sun Dance is believed to bring God's blessing, good fortune, and happiness to the tribe for the coming year.

Diakaashe, 'He Really Did It'

In both the past and present, performing these rituals without the right attitude would not bring any benefit. The greatest gift to God is to do each ceremony with diakaashe, meaning "he really did it." This means a Crow person must believe wholeheartedly in God's power and act with sincerity and determination.

It's believed that if a person expects to receive something great, they probably won't. The Medicine Fathers don't owe anyone anything. Crow people believe they must realize this and dedicate their lives to following the guidance from God, not just once a year, but every day, year after year.

Tobacco

Tobacco is also a very important part of Crow religion. The plant is honored in a Crow group called the Tobacco Society, or Bacu'sua. The Crow believe that Chief No Vitals first found tobacco at Devils Lake in North Dakota. He was told by God to seek the plant, and that honoring it would help the Crow honor God. Because of this, tobacco is seen as vital for the tribe's well-being. Crow people themselves have called it their "means of living." Since the plant is so respected, the Tobacco Society makes sure all the rituals are performed correctly, growing it so the tribe can be successful. When the sacred plant is smoked, it's believed that the smoke helps carry prayers to God.

For Crow people who consider smoking especially holy, there is the Sacred Pipe Society. In this group, smoking is done daily to help members feel closer to God. Once the pipe is lit, the stem is pointed up as an offering to God, then down to Mother Earth, and finally in all four directions of the wind. When the prayers are finished, the pipe is returned to its special place in the tipi. Thomas Yellowtail supported this way of honoring God. He believed it was a way to pray as part of a Crow person's daily life, which he felt was very important for showing proper respect to God. Yellowtail used Black Elk's description of the sacred pipe to show its importance to the Crow: "With this sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth; for the Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and she is sacred. Every step that has been taken upon Her should be as a prayer. The bowl of this pipe is of red stone; it is the Earth… The stem of this pipe is of wood, and this represents all that grows upon Earth… all things of the universe are joined to you who smokes the pipe – all send their voices to Wakan-Tanka, the Great Spirit. When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything."

Christianity

Today, Crow religion includes more than just traditional Crow beliefs. Over the last 100 years, several Christian groups have become part of the Crow community. Christianity first came to the Crow during the reservation era. This was when the Crow were living in a smaller area and were watched closely by white missionaries and government agents.

The first and most successful Christian group was the Catholic Jesuits. They started the St. Xavier mission in the Bighorn Valley in 1887. This was led by Pierpaolo Prando, after Catholics had preached to the Crow for seven years. Prando was respected by the Crow because he worked hard to learn their language. This allowed him to talk with them and translate Christian sermons into Crow so they could understand. In October 1888, the Jesuits strengthened their mission by building a school. This helped more Crow people join their church. A key reason for the Catholics' success was their ability to work with the Crow on their own terms. The missionaries respected traditional Crow beliefs, even letting Crow converts make Christian Xapáaliia (sacred objects).

At first, Protestant groups had less success in converting the Crow. Even though the government supported Protestantism, hoping it would "improve" the Crow, the first Unitarian mission failed. It was started in 1886 by Henry F. Bond at the Little Bighorn. Bond practiced a very strict form of Protestantism and refused to accept traditional Crow beliefs and culture. This made the tribe feel distant from him. The America Missionary Association's mission, started in 1895 by James Gregor Burgess, also faced similar problems.

Success came in 1903 when a Baptist mission was built at Lodge Grass. A school was also built there in 1904, led by Rev. William A. Petzoldt. This school became very popular because it was in the heart of the Crow community. Students could study but still live at home. This was different from the faraway boarding schools run by other Christian missions. The Lodge Grass mission was so successful that the Jesuits, who had lost government funding in 1895, also built a school there.

Even though these Christian groups succeeded in converting Crow people, they found it much harder to get their converts to worship only the Christian God. This was because of the Crow belief system. They saw Christianity as one of many ways to connect with God. This allowed traditional Crow beliefs to exist alongside Christian practices. This made Christian missionaries frustrated, especially when a Crow cultural and religious revival happened around the turn of the century, bringing what they saw as "primitive" religion back into focus.

The only Christian group that successfully got Crow people to worship only God was Evangelicalism. In the 1980s, this group grew rapidly, starting churches in many areas across the reservation. Members of these churches rejected any form of traditional Crow religion. However, this was an exception to the general rule.

Peyote and the Native American Church

As part of a wider spiritual reawakening, the peyote religion grew and reached the Crow reservation in 1910. Peyote ceremonies involve eating the dried tips of the peyote cactus. This plant grows naturally in northern Mexico and the southern United States. Traditionally, peyote is used for many reasons, such as wishing for a long and healthy life, purifying the body and soul, and bringing good luck and protection.

The use of peyote in ceremonies dates back to ancient Mexico. Catholic missionaries in the 1600s wrote about its use in all-night ceremonies by native peoples there. It is believed that peyote ceremonies were brought to the U.S. by nomadic Apache and Comanche Native Americans. They often traveled south of the border. When these Native peoples were moved to reservations in Oklahoma, this traditional practice continued to grow. For the first time, many tribes lived close together. They could communicate as they were forced to learn English to deal with the government.

The U.S. government also unintentionally helped peyote rituals spread by sending Native Americans to boarding schools. These schools were a mix of different Native tribes. Students shared their knowledge of peyote ceremonies. These young people would later become educated and influential members of their tribes. This put them in positions to spread the use of peyote in their communities. Peyote spread quickly on the Oklahoma reservations because it was a part of Native culture that had not been destroyed by white settlers. It gave Native Americans an important link to their past.

In 1918, peyote users faced government efforts to stop their practices. So, they organized themselves into the Native American Church. They hoped that as a formal organization, the U.S. government would have to recognize peyote as a real religion. In the Church, members consume peyote and then sing and pray to God throughout the night. The Comanche chief Quanah Parker once said about the difference between the Native American Church and mainstream Christianity: "The White man goes into his church house and talks about Jesus, but the Indian goes into his tipi and talks to Jesus."

The government, believing peyote was addictive and harmful, banned its sale in Montana in 1923. When it was found that Crow people were driving to Wyoming to get the cactus, a ban was put in place there in 1929. However, Bird Above campaigned against the ban. He showed that peyote encouraged good behavior like being faithful in marriage, working hard, and being moderate. At the same time, tests showed the plant was not addictive. Because of this, the ban was removed.

The peyote religion became popular. Missionaries in the 1930s were frustrated, saying that most of their members would attend Christian services but still practice peyote beliefs. Around the year 2000, it's believed that about one hundred peyote ceremonies were performed on the Crow reservation each year. Other Native-Christian religions are also practiced among the Crow. This includes a Native form of Pentecostalism, which was first brought to the reservation by Crow believers in the 1920s and now has many followers.

Medicine and Healing

The medicine people of the tribe are known as Akbaalia, which means "healer."

Mannegishi

The Mannegishi, also called little people, are bald humanoids. They have large, bulky, pretty eyes and tiny, tan bodies. They were known as tricksters and might be similar to fairies.