Who Are the Crow?
The Crow, who call themselves **Apsáalooke** ("Children of the Large-Beaked Bird"), are a Plains Indian nation of the Yellowstone River region in Montana, numbering approximately 13,000 enrolled members. Originally part of the Hidatsa people, the Crow separated around 1600 CE and migrated westward to become one of the most powerful horse-culture nations of the Northern Plains. Known for their exceptional horsemanship, elaborate regalia, and the annual Crow Fair—the largest Native American gathering in North America—the Crow maintained their homeland through strategic alliances, including serving as scouts for the US Army against their traditional enemies, the Lakota Sioux.
Horse Culture and Plains Life
The Crow became master horsemen after acquiring horses in the early 1700s, developing one of the largest horse herds on the Plains—reportedly owning 10,000+ horses at their peak, more per capita than any other tribe. Horses transformed Crow life, enabling effective buffalo hunting, expanded territory, and wealth accumulation. Crow men sought **war honors** (counting coup) through brave deeds: touching an enemy, stealing horses, leading successful war parties, and taking weapons. The greatest warriors could earn the right to wear a **coup feather** headdress. Crow tipis, known for their elegant design and tanned buffalo-hide covers, were considered the finest on the Plains. The matrilineal clan system organized Crow society into 13 clans, determining marriage rules and social obligations.
Strategic Survival and the Scout Controversy
The Crow made pragmatic decisions to preserve their homeland, most controversially serving as scouts for the US Army—including at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876). This wasn't betrayal of "Indian unity" but rational self-defense: the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne were long-standing enemies who had pushed the Crow from their eastern territories. Chief Plenty Coups articulated Crow strategy: "The Sioux would take our lands and we would lose them anyway. The white men will eventually take them from the Sioux too." This approach helped the Crow retain the **2.3-million-acre Crow Reservation**—one of the largest in America and encompassing much of their traditional homeland. Unlike tribes relocated to unfamiliar territories, the Crow remain in their ancestral mountains and valleys.
Crow Fair and Cultural Vitality
**Crow Fair**, held annually since 1904 near Crow Agency, Montana, is the "Teepee Capital of the World"—over 1,000 tipis create a temporary city during the third weekend of August. The celebration features traditional dancing competitions, rodeo events, parades, and horse racing, drawing 40,000+ visitors from tribes across North America. Crow Fair exemplifies cultural persistence: traditional arts including **elk-tooth dresses** (containing up to 500 teeth), elaborate beadwork, and horse regalia remain vibrant. The Crow language, a Siouan language with approximately 4,500 speakers, shows higher retention than most Native American languages, helped by community usage and Crow-language immersion schools. Chief Plenty Coups's famous statement that "when the buffalo went away, the hearts of my people fell to the ground... and they could not lift them up again" acknowledged cultural loss while his people simultaneously demonstrated remarkable resilience.
Contemporary Crow Nation
The Crow Nation today operates under a 2001 constitution establishing a three-branch government. The reservation, stretching from the Bighorn Mountains to the Montana plains, contains significant coal reserves, creating ongoing debates about energy development versus environmental protection. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument lies within Crow territory, and tribal members serve as rangers and interpreters telling "the Indian side" of the famous battle. Challenges include 30%+ unemployment, limited economic opportunities, and healthcare disparities, while strengths include strong cultural identity, successful language preservation, and valuable natural resources. The Crow continue producing notable leaders, scholars, and artists, including Joe Medicine Crow (1913-2016), the last traditional Crow war chief, who earned war honors in World War II using traditional methods—counting coup on a German soldier and stealing enemy horses.
References
- Hoxie, F. E. (1995). Parading Through History: The Making of the Crow Nation in America 1805-1935. Cambridge University Press.
- Medicine Crow, J. (1992). From the Heart of the Crow Country. Orion Books.
- Lowie, R. H. (1935). The Crow Indians. Farrar & Rinehart.
- Linderman, F. B. (1930). Plenty-Coups: Chief of the Crows. University of Nebraska Press.