Crow Nation

The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a tribe of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone river valley and now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana. The tribal headquarters are located at Crow Agency, Montana.

Geography

The Crow Indian Reservation in South-Central Montana is large reservation including more than 1.8 million acres (7,300 km²). The reservation is primarily in Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties with Ceded Lands in Rosebud, Carbon, and Treasure Counties. The Crow Indian Reservation's eastern border is the 107th meridian line of Greenwich, except along the border line of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The outdated and inaccurate line is the border line connecting the two Indian reservations. The Southern border is from the 107th meridian line west to the east bank of the Big Horn River. The line travels downstream to Big Horn National Recreation Area and west to the Pryor Mountains and north-easterly to Billings, Montana. The northern border travels east and near Hardin, Montana to the 107th meridian line.

Language

The Crow language is a member of the Missouri Valley Siouan languages. They split from the Hidatsa tribe in present-day North Dakota either around 1400 to 1500 CE (according to cultural anthropologists) or 900 to 1000 CE (according to linguistic anthropologists).

Lifestyle

The traditional shelters of the Crow are tipis made with Bison skins and wooden poles. They are known to contruct some of the largest tipis. Inside the tipi are mattresses arranged around the border of the tipi, and a fireplace in the center. The smoke from the fire escapes through a hole in the top of the tipi. Many Crow families still own and use the tipi, especially when traveling. Crow Fair has been described as the largest gathering of tipis in the world.

Traditional clothing the Crow wore depended on gender. Women tended to wear simple clothes. They wore dresses made of mountain sheep or deer skins, decorated with elk teeth. They covered their legs with leggings and their feet with moccasins. Crow women had short hair, unlike the men. Male clothing usually consisted of a shirt, trimmed leggings with a belt, a robe, and moccasins. Their hair was long, in some cases reaching or dragging the ground, and was sometimes decorated.

Lineage

The Crow were a matrilineal (decent through the maternal line), matrilocal (husband moves in with wife's family), and matriarchal tribe (females obtaining high status, even chief). Women held a very significant role within the tribe.

Crow kinship is a kinship system used to define family. Identified by Louis Henry Morgan in his 1871 work Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family, the Crow system is one of the six major kinship systems (Eskimo, Hawaiian, Iroquois, Crow, Omaha, and Sudanese).

Scouts

On June 25, 1876, George Armstrong Custer, Commander of the US Seventh Cavalry led his troops to complete annihilation at the hands of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. The site today, near Crow Agency, is marked as the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The Crow Nation was recruited to serve in the U.S. Army as Indian scouts. White Man Runs Him, Curley, Hairy Moccasin, and Goes Ahead were with Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh Cavalry in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, or Custer’s Last Stand. The Scout's only duties were to find the Indian encampments. Such was the case with Lt. Colonel Custer as he dismissed his Crow and Arikara Indian scouts.

Government

The Seat of Government and Capital is Crow Agency, Montana.

Prior to the 2001 Constitution, the Crow Nation was governed by a 1948 Constitution. The former constitution organized the tribe as a General Council (Tribal Council). The General Council in essence held the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of the government. The General Council was comprised of all enrolled members of the Crow Nation, provided that females 18 years or older and males 21 or older. The General Council was a direct democracy, comparable to that of ancient Athens.

The Crow Nation, or Crow Tribe of Indians, established a three branch government at a 2001 Council Meeting. The new government is known as the 2001 Constitution. The General Council remains the governing body of the tribe, however, the powers were distributed to a three branch government. In theory, the General Council is still the governing body of the Crow Nation. However, in reality, the General Council has not convened since the establishment of the 2001 constitution.

The Executive Branch has four officials known as the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Vice-Secretary. The Executive Branch officials are also the officials within the Crow Tribal General Council, which has not met since July 15, 2001 that established the 2001 Constitution.

The Legislative Branch consists of a Legislature. The Legislature has three members from each district on the Crow Indian Reservation. The Crow Indian Reservation is divided into six districts known as The Valley of the Chiefs, Reno, Black Lodge, Mighty Few, Big Horn, and Pryor Districts. The Valley of the Chiefs District is the largest district by population.

A Judicial Branch of the Crow Tribal Government consists of all courts established by the Crow Law and Order Code and in accordance with the 2001 Constitution. The Judicial Branch shall have jurisdiction over all matters defined in the Crow Law and Order Code. The Judicial Branch tries to be separate and distinct branch of government from the Legislative and Executive Branches of Crow Tribal Government. The Judicial Branch consists of an elected Chief Judge and two Associate Judges. The Crow Court of Appeals, similar to State Court of Appeals, receives all appeals from the lower courts. The Chief Judge of the Crow Nation is Angela Russell.

Constitution Controversy

According to the 1948 Constitution, all constitutional amendments must be voted on by secret ballot or referendum vote. The former Chairman Birdinground did not do either action. The quarterly council meeting on July 15, 2001 passed all resolutions, including the measure to repeal the current constitution and approve a new constitution, by voice vote. An opposition has arose to challenge the new constitution's validity; it is currently in Crow Tribal Courts awaiting a decision.

Leadership

The Crow Nation elects biannually a Chairman of the Crow Tribal Council. In 2001, the term of office was extended to a four year term. The current Chairman is Carl Venne. The Chairman serves as chief executive officer, speaker of the council, and majority leader of the Crow Tribal Counil. The constitutional changes of 2001 created a three branch government. The Chairman serves as the head of the executive branch, which includes the offices of Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Vice-Secretary and the tribal offices and departments of the Crow Tribal Administration. Notable Chairmen were Clara Nomee, Edison Real Bird, and Robert "Robie" Yellowtail. A list of Crow Tribal Administrations.

Mythology

Chiefs

Plenty Coups, Medicine Crow, Sits in the Middle of the Land, Pretty Eagle, No Vitals, Red Scout, etc.

Crow Fair

The tribe hosts a large Dance Celebration, rodeo, and parade annually; the 86th Crow Fair will be held in Crow Agency from August 17 - August 21, 2006.

Films

Dale Old Horn, a Crow elder and historian, and professor at Little Big Horn College, was featured on the 2006 installment of the PBS television series Frontier House.^*

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Crow Nation