Crow (tribe)

Crow (tribe)
source
Name	Crow
Native name	Apsáalooke
Caption	Crow buffalo robe pattern
Population	~8,400 enrolled
Regions	Montana, Wyoming
Languages	Crow
Related	Hidatsa, Mandan, Gros Ventre

Crow (tribe) The Crow are a Native American people historically associated with the Yellowstone River valley and the Big Horn Basin in present-day Montana and Wyoming. They maintain a federally recognized Crow Tribe of Indians centered at Crow Agency, Montana and continue cultural, political, and legal interactions with entities such as the United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Crow have been involved in landmark events and negotiations including the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, interactions with figures like Sitting Bull, George Armstrong Custer, and Buffalo Bill Cody, and cultural exchanges documented by scholars at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and National Museum of the American Indian.

Introduction

The Crow identify as Apsáalooke, a name tied to their origin narratives and social structure, and are linguistically affiliated with the Siouan languages family alongside groups like the Hidatsa, Mandan, and Winnebago. Their traditional territory encompassed tributaries of the Missouri River including the Yellowstone River, the Bighorn River, and lands adjacent to the Big Horn Mountains, shaping alliances and conflicts with neighbors such as the Sioux Nation (Lakota), Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Shoshone. Contemporary Crow governance interacts with federal jurisprudence exemplified by cases before the United States Supreme Court and legislative actions by the United States Congress.

History

Crow oral traditions recount migrations from the Ohio River valley region into the northern Plains, histories that complement archaeological research at sites like Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site and ethnographies by scholars such as James Mooney and Franz Boas. In the early 19th century Crow diplomatic and trading relations involved the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Hudson's Bay Company, and traders based at Fort Benton. Conflict and diplomacy with the Sioux Wars, the Red Cloud's War, and U.S. military campaigns including encounters with the 7th Cavalry Regiment (United States) during the era of George Armstrong Custer reshaped Crow territory, culminating in treaties such as agreements signed at Fort Laramie and negotiations mediated by agents like Edward F. Beale. Reservation establishment near Little Bighorn River followed military and political pressures after battles involving Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph drew national attention through newspapers such as the New York Times and portrayals by showmen like Buffalo Bill Cody.

Culture and Society

Crow social organization featured clan systems, age sets, and warrior societies that anthropologists including Gordon M. Sayre and Jane M. L. Wall have studied alongside museum collections at the Museum of the Rockies and the Field Museum. Prominent cultural practices included the Sun Dance, pony breeding, and artistry in beadwork, quillwork, and robe painting evidenced in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. Crow leaders such as Old Man Coyote figures in oral literature and leaders like Chief Plenty Coups played roles in intertribal diplomacy with groups like the Crow Nation Warriors and in relations with U.S. officials including Frank B. Linderman. Contemporary cultural revitalization involves programs at Crow Agency schools, partnerships with the Montana Historical Society, and performances at events including the Crow Fair and gatherings attended by tribal members and visitors from institutions like the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Language

The Crow language, Apsáalooke, is a member of the Siouan languages family, sharing links with languages such as Mandan and Hidatsa. Documentation includes work by linguists like Dale R. Schaefer and revitalization efforts supported by educators at Little Big Horn College and programs funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and collaborations with the Endangered Language Fund. Orthographies and curricula incorporate resources from the Library of Congress and academic partnerships with universities including Montana State University and University of Montana. Media and recordings archived at the American Folklife Center and projects with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage support intergenerational transmission.

Economy and Subsistence

Traditionally the Crow economy centered on buffalo hunting across the Great Plains and trade networks connecting to posts like Fort Union and tribes such as the Nez Perce. Horse culture and salt plains near Yellowstone National Park influenced subsistence strategies documented by explorers and traders from enterprises like the American Fur Company. Contemporary economic initiatives involve tribal enterprises, natural resource management with the Bureau of Land Management, energy development in areas managed under oversight from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, and educational employment through institutions such as Little Big Horn College. Tourism connected to sites including Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and cultural events like the Crow Fair contribute to the tribal economy alongside federal programs administered by the Indian Health Service.

Religion and Beliefs

Crow spiritual life integrates ceremonies such as the Sun Dance, vision quests, and ritual practices recorded in ethnographies by James Teit and documented in collections at the Smithsonian Institution. Sacred sites in the Bighorn Mountains and along the Yellowstone River hold significance paralleled in regional beliefs among the Blackfeet and Shoshone. Religious leaders and medicine societies historically mediated cures, rites of passage, and communal decision-making; figures such as Plenty Coups feature in both spiritual and political narratives archived by the National Archives and recounted in works published by the University of Nebraska Press. Contemporary practices intersect with legal protections under statutes like the American Indian Religious Freedom Act and collaborations with cultural preservation organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Relations with U.S. Government and Modern Issues

The Crow Tribe engages in legal, political, and economic negotiations involving land rights, treaty interpretation, and natural resource stewardship in forums such as cases before the United States District Court for the District of Montana and policies shaped by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Issues include water rights adjudications referencing the McCarran Amendment, mineral leasing managed under the Indian Mineral Development Act, and litigation related to the Indian Child Welfare Act. Leaders such as the tribal chairs of the Crow Tribe of Montana interact with state governments including the Montana Legislature and federal departments like the Department of Justice on matters from education to public health, with partnerships involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and advocacy entities like the National Congress of American Indians. Cultural preservation, language revitalization, and economic development remain central priorities as the Crow navigate heritage tourism, renewable energy projects, and environmental protection efforts in collaboration with organizations including the Fish and Wildlife Service and regional universities such as Montana State University Billings.

Category:Native American tribes in Montana Category:Siouan peoples