THE CROW The crow country is a 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, which ever way you travel you fare worse. Arapooash (Sore Belly) Headchief River Crows Origin :  Siouan linguistic Tribal Name  Apsalookee Population  c.4500 Horses:  9500 Lodges :  480 Political Structure: The nation was divided into Mountain Crows and River Crows. The Kicked In The Bellies band often were a third division but sometimes attached to the Mountain Crows. Each division had its own chiefs.   Mountain Crow band structure : The crow bands were based on the clan system .They lived with the wife's relatives (matrilineal) and marriage within the clan was prohibited (exogamous). Acirari o (new lodges Acitsi te ( thick lodge) Aci oce (sore lip lodge) U watace ( greasy mouths ) U sawats ia (without shooting they bring game) Xu xkaraxtse (tied in a knot) Acpe nuce (filth eaters) E rarapio (kicked in the bellies) Ackya pkawia (bad war honours) Birikyo oce (whistling water) Acxatse ( streaked lodge) Ackya mne (piegan lodge) Religion :Ah badt dadt deah (First Maker) Important Chiefs: Red Plume Sore Belly ,Big Robber , Blackfoot, Plenty Coups Warrior Societies Bulls Prarie Foxes Ravens Half shaved heads Lumpwoods Stone Hammers Little Dogs Big Dogs Muddy Hands

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HISTORY The Crow were originally part of the Hidatsa. It is believed they originated in eastern Kansas and split off from the Hidatsa in a series of migrations in the 17th century. It is probable that the Montain Crow made the first westward movement and the River Crow followed them much later. The Crows first moved to the area west of the Black Hills and then were pushed further west by the Cheyenne and Sioux. Whilst in the region of the Black Hills they befriended the Kiowa making an alliance which lasted to the reservation period. The Mountain Crows settled in the upper reaches of the Yellowstone in what is now southern Montana and northern Wyoming. The 'Kicked in the Bellies ' band which was somewhat independent of the other Mountain Crows ranged south and west of the Bighorn mountains. The River Crow continued to make a yearly visit to the Hidatsa and Mandan villages on the Missouri while the Mountain Crow traded across the rockies with the Flatheads and Nez perce.They therefore became important middlemen in the transfer of goods between east and west with the result that the Crows became rich in horses. Although the tribe was relatively small , it was surrounded by powerful enemies. The Blackfeet/ Gros Ventre in the north, the Assiniboin in the north east, the Lakota in the west and the Northern Cheyenne/Arapaho in the South west. It was believed at the time that they would be unable to hold onto the country whilst being warred on by so many other powerful tribes. However the Crows, like other plains tribes actually thrived on the war experience and the constant struggle only seemed to make them stronger. In fact visitors to the tribe found them to be so confident of thier own prowess that it verged on arrogance. When the first whitemen, came to the country they generally found the Crows to be hospitable and as the fur trade developed the mountain men often wintered in the Crow camps. It was found much more agreeable to live with the Crow than the Blackfeet who were extremely hostile to any American trappers in their country. This led to further trading opportunities for the tribe and many bands began to supply the whites with furs and later bufallo robes. This alliance did not stop the indians from stealing horses from the white men and the tribe became well known for their horse stealing ability on the northern plains. As the century progressed the Americans began pushing the other tribes further west and soon the Crow came under increasing pressure from the Sioux/ Cheyenne alliance. The Kicked in the Bellies, being the furthest south of all the bands, suffered greatly and eventually gave up the powder river country. The principal chief Big Robber was killed by the Lakota in 1858. In the powder river war the Crow were asked to join the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho but they remained loyal to the Americans and sent back the Sioux pipe. As the Sioux war continued the Crow fought with distinction alongside the U S Army at the Rosebud and provided scouts for the Little Big Horn campaign. It was a Crow scout, Curly who brought news of the Custer defeat to the command HQ on the Yellowstone. Today the tribe remain close to a portion of the original hunting grounds in southern Montana.