All about the ancient tribes
Montana: Crow Reservation. About the Crow: The Hidatsa-Crow originally lived in the Ohio country, migrating through northern Illinois, western Minnesota, and into the Red River Valley. They remained in this region for several hundred years, hunting buffalo and cultivating crops.
In historical times, the Crow lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota, where it joins the Missouri River. Since the 19th century, Crow people have been concentrated on their reservation established south of Billings, Montana.
The Crow tribe lived in tent-like homes called tepees. The tepees were constructed using long wooden poles that were covered with animal skins such as buffalo hides which, like their clothes, were made from white, sun-bleached buffalo skins. The tepee tent was pyramid shaped, with flaps and openings.
The Crow language is a member of the Missouri Valley Siouan languages, believed to have split from the Hidatsa tribe in present-day North Dakota either around 1400 to 1500, according to cultural anthropologists, or 900 to 1000, according to linguistic anthropologists.
The three groups traditionally lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, and the U.S. state of Montana, and there they remain, with one reservation in Montana and three reserves (as they are called in Canada), one for each band, within Alberta.
About the Crow: The Hidatsa-Crow originally lived in the Ohio country, migrating through northern Illinois, western Minnesota, and into the Red River Valley. They remained in this region for several hundred years, hunting buffalo and cultivating crops.
Crow (native name: Apsáalooke [ə̀ˈpsáːɾòːɡè]) is a Missouri Valley Siouan language spoken primarily by the Crow Nation in present-day southeastern Montana.
The Comanches, known as the “Lords of the Plains”, were regarded as perhaps the most dangerous Indians Tribes in the frontier era. One of the most compelling stories of the Wild West is the abduction of Cynthia Ann Parker, Quanah’s mother, who was kidnapped at age 9 by Comanches and assimilated into the tribe.
Crow leader Long Hair was the tribal signatory, while Crow leader Sore Belly refused to sign. 1840-1850 – Smallpox epidemics found their way to Crow country. The tribe suffered a staggering population loss. The tribal population, estimated at 10,000 in 1830, declined to approximately 2,000.
The Crow Tribe has a membership of 11,000, of whom 7,900 reside on the Crow Indian Reservation. The tribe is originally called “Apsáalooke,” which means “children of the large-beaked bird.” White men later misinterpreted the word as “Crow.” 85% of the tribe speaks Crow as their first language.
The Hopi Indians are the oldest Native American tribe in the World.
Prior to European settlement of the Americas, Cherokees were the largest Native American tribe in North America. They became known as one of the so-called “Five Civilized Tribes,” thanks to their relatively peaceful interactions with early European settlers and their willingness to adapt to Anglo-American customs.