The Crow or Absaroka Tribe

NATIVE AMERICAN LEGENDS

The Crow - Skilled Horseman of Montana

The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, their name was given them by the Hidatsa, and meant meant "people [or children] of the large-beaked bird." Historically, they lived in the Yellowstone river valley. A Siouan tribe, they once were part of the Hidatsa, living around the head waters of the upper Mississippi River in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin. Later, the Crow moved to the Devil’s Lake region of North Dakota , before splitting with the Hidatsa and moving westward.

Settling in Montana, the tribe split once again into two divisions, called the Mountain Crow and the River Crow. They were first encountered by two Frenchmen in 1743 near the present-day town of Hardin, Montana. When the Lewis and Clark expedition came upon them in 1804, they estimated some 350 lodges with about 3,500 members.

Absaroka Warriors

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Like many other Plains Indians, the Crow traditionally lived in tipis, though theirs were often larger than other tribes. Constructed of buffalo skins and wooden poles, flying from the poles were not scalps, but strips of red cloth. The Crow men were extremely proud of their long hair, which was allowed to grow extremely long, sometimes even dragging the ground, and was usually decorated with various items. Unlike the men, Crow women had short hair.

While the men were known as skilled horsemen and hunters, the women were accomplished at decorating both the men’s and women’s clothing with beads, embroidery, and dyed porcupine quills, making them particularly handsome.

Explorers described the wandering tribe of hunters as extremely superstitious, skillful horsemen, and despising of the whites, though they weren’t known to kill them, usually preferring to plunder them. The Crow had more horses than any other plains tribe, numbering some 10,000 in mid 1800’s and more than 40,000 by the beginning of the 20^th century. They also had hundreds of dogs, with one explorer counting more than 500. Unlike some other tribes, they did not consume dog.

The Crow were a matrilineal, with decent following the maternal line and the husband moving in with the wife’s family.Females held a significant role in the tribe, often obtaining his status, even including chief.

Today, the vast majority of the Crow live on the Crow Indian Reservation in south-central Montana. The reservation, covering more than three million square miles, is the fifth-largest Indian reservation in the United States. The total population is nearly 7,000 with its largest community being the Crow Agency, where the tribe’s headquarters are located. The Crow hosts the Annual Crow Fair which features a pow-wow, rodeo, and parade. During this event, which is held each third weekend in August, it becomes known as "The Teepee Capital of the World," where as many as 1,500 teepees can be seen spread across the river valley of the Little Big Horn River.

Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, © January, 2007

Absaroka Warriors

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

Absaroka winter camp.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Native American Postcards - Legends of America and the Rocky Mountain General Store has collected numerous Native American postcards - both new and vintage. For many of these, we have only one available. To see this varied collection, click HERE!