Crow Tribe of Indians

Ancestral homeland: Linguistic Group: Siouan Living in Bighorn County in south-central Montana

History
The first contact with non-Indians was with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806. The tribe was later involved with trading and interacting with mountain men during rendezvous.

In 1825 strong tribal leaders initiated a division and the Mountain Crow and River Crow tribes were formed. This same year some Crow warriors assisted the United States military in fighting other Indian tribes.

1868 Treaty was signed, establishing a reservation in Montana.

During the 1870's and the Indian Wars for the West, the Crow warriors served as scouts fighting against the Sioux and Nez Perce. In the historic Battle of the Little Big Horn, General Custer had Crows serving as scouts.

1880 Treaty " Crow Indians shall consent to permit cattle to be driven across their reservation or grazed on the same, the Secretary of the Interior shall fix the amount to be paid by parties desiring to so drive or graze cattle; all moneys arising from this source to be paid to the Indians..."

Even though they had served the U.S. military, the tribe was removed to the Crow Reservation in Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties, Montana.

The population of the Crow Tribe in 1944 was estimated to be about 2,500. In 1980, the population on the reservation was 3,953. In 1990, their population was 8,491.

Brief Timeline

 * 1806: The Lewis and Clark expedition encountered the Tribe
 * 1821: The tribe interacted with mountain men during fur-trading rendezvous
 * 1825: divide into Mountain Crow and River Crow
 * 1825: joined the United States soldiers in fighting other Indian tribes
 * 1851: Treaty signed at Fort Laramie, Wyoming (38.5 million acres in Montana)
 * 1868: Treaty at Fort Laramie extablishes a reservation in Montana, south to the Yellowstone River
 * 1870: During the wars for the West the Crow were allies of the U.S. Army, serving as scouts, and fought against the Sioux and the Nez Perce.
 * 1876: Crow warriors acted as scouts for General Custer; Custer defeated at Little Bighorn in July 1876
 * 1880: Treaty at Washington D.C.,
 * 1888: ceded most of their land; removed to Crow Reservation in Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties, Montana

Reservations
The Crow Indians are primarily associated with the Crow Reservation in southern Montana.

Additional Reference to the History of the Tribe

 * Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Crow tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods.
 * John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America *David Bushnell's Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan and Caddoan Tribes West of the Mississippi.
 * There is also a history of the Crow Tribe on the website for the Little Big Horn College.

Bands and Groups of the Crow Tribe
Bands: Achepabecha, Ahaharopirnopa, Ahachik, Ashinadea, Ashbochiah, Ashkanena, Booadasha, Ehartsar, Esachkabuk, Esekepkabuk, Hokarutcha, Noota Oosabotsee, Pareescar, Petchaleruhpaka, and Shiptetza

Groups:


 * Mountain Crow: settled north of the Yellowstone near the Musselshell River.
 * River Crow: settled near the Big Horn, Powder and Wind Rivers.

Tribal Headquarters
Crow Tribe of Montana P. O. Box 159 Crow Agency, MT 59022 Phone: 406.638.3708 Fax: 406.638.7301 Website: www.crowtribe.com

Records
Agencies that had responsibility for the Crow Indians include:


 * Upper Missouri
 * Fort Berthold
 * Crow Agency

Correspondence and Census

Treaties


 * 1825 August 4, at Mandan Village
 * 1851 September 17, at Fort Laramie
 * 1868 May 7, at Fort Laramie
 * 1880 May 14, at Washington - unratified

Vital Records


 * Crow Agency, M595, births and deaths 1925-1932, FHL Film: 575776

Important Web Sites

 * Crow Constitution and By-Laws of the Crow Tribe of Indians
 * Crow Tribe Official Website
 * Crow Nation Wikipedia