The Crow (Apsáalooke ) Tribe
of Indians has a membership of approximately
11,000, of whom 7,900 reside on the Crow Indian
Reservation. Eighty-five percent speak Crow as
their first language. The tribe is originally
called "Apsáalooke ," which means "children of
the large-beaked bird." White men later
misinterpreted the word as "Crow."
The Apsáalooke/Crow People
are known for the strength of their Apsáalooke
ammaalaátuua, (Crow writing system) and clan
system. The Crow Indian language is a part of
the greater Siouan language family. The
Apsáalooke Ashammalíaxxiia, Clan System consists
of six active clans:
Ashshitchíte/the Big Lodge, Ashhilaalíoo/
Newly Made Lodge
Aashkamne/ Piegan clan. The other name they
are called is: Aashbatshua or Treacherous
clan
Baacheeitche Avenue
P.O. Box
159
Crow
Agency, Montana 59022
PHONE:
406.638.3700
FAX:
406.638.3881
The Crow Indian
Reservation is the largest of the 7 Indian
Reservations and is located in south central
Montana, bordered by Wyoming to the south and
the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation to the
east. The reservation encompasses approximately
2.3 million acres, which includes the northern
end of the BASAWAXAAWUUA (Bighorn Mountains),
CHEETIISH (Wolf Mountains) and BAAHPUUO
ISAWAXAAWUUA (Pryor Mountains). The Bighorn
River flows north from Yellowtail Dam and joins
the Little Bighorn River just outside Hardin,
Montana. The city of Billings is approximately
10 miles northwest of the reservation boundary.
The homeland of the
Apsáalooke have three major mountain ranges:
Iisiaxpúatachee Isawaxaawúua (Big Horn
Mountains), Cheétiish (Wolf Teeth Mountains) and
Baáhpuuo (Pryor Mountains); rich rolling hills,
plains, grasslands, badlands water and wetlands.
The Iisiaxpúatahcheeaashisee Aliakáate (Little
Big Horn River)--- (Big Horn River) and
Bilippítshuhke (Reno Creek) flow through the
reservation and create wooded valleys with
abundant fish and wildlife. The Crow high
country has elk, deer and buffalo herds in some
Montana’s richest alpine range land. The tribal
members reside in six major towns and in the
countryside across the 3,000 square miles of
Crow Country (a territory bigger than Rhode
Island yet smaller than Connecticut). One of the
nation’s richest deposits of strippable low
sulfur coal lies along the eastern sector of the
reservation. One active coal mine, the Sarpy
Coal Mine, and several oil and gas fields yield
important resources to the Crow Tribal
Government. In 2002 a new constitution was
adopted by the Crow Tribe which includes a
judicial, legislative and executive branch.
In Indian Country the
Apsáalooke/Crow People are renowned for their
cultural vitality, particularly for the
mid-August Chichaxxaasuua, the Crow Fair. This
event is often called the largest family reunion
in the world. Over 10,000 Crow people live in
the encampment of over 1,700 teepees and 1,200
tents. Crow families move their households
including horses to camp. The Tepee Capital of
the World features a morning parade of the
Apsáalooke/Crow People and their horses in full
regalia, cars and flat bed trucks bedecked with
beadwork and attire, an afternoon all Indian
rodeo and race meet and an evening intertribal
powwow. On the banks of the Little Big Horn
River the fairgrounds is rich in historic
context, for the Little Bighorn Battlefield is
only two miles to the south, and a short
distance from the Big Horn and Yellowstone
Rivers and the Bozeman Trail.
The nineteenth century Apsáalooke chief,
Eelapúash stated, “The Crow Country is good
country. The Great Spirit has put it exactly in
the right place, while you are in it you fare
well; whenever you go out of it; whichever way
you travel you fare worse.” (Chief Eelapúash,
circa 1830)
Chief Plenty Coups was the last chief to gain
that status in the traditional Crow manner. He
lived until 1932, leaving his land and home as a
park for all people.
The climate on the
reservation varies from humid above 7,000 feet
in the Bighorn Mountains, with 24 inches of
annual precipitation, to semi-arid around 2,900
feet near Hardin, with 12 inches of annual
precipitation. Vegetation varies from conifer
forests to grasslands. Approximately 75% of the
precipitation falls from March through July. The
frost-free period (growing season) ranges from
115 days at Busby, 123 days at Hardin, 126 days
at Wyola, to 135 days at Crow Agency. The last
spring frost occurs as late as May 24 and frost
may occur as early as September 16th.
This portion of Montana enjoys "Indian Summers"
which frequently extend into November. This is a
time of warm sunny days and cool evenings. The
mean annual temperature is 45.5 degrees
Fahrenheit (F) with a summer high of 110 and a
winter low of –48 degrees F.
