Children of the Large-Beaked Bird

Children of the Large-Beaked Bird. History of the Crow (Apsalooke) Indians. Joe Medicine Crow, a Crow historian, indicated the Crow (Apsalooke) Indians migrated west from what is now North and South Dakota, to the Yellowstone River Valley over 400 years age. Their migration was prior to the introduction of horses, guns, and contact with the white man and the devastating impact of smallpox. , According to Lawrence Flat Lip, a Crow oral historian, the Crow survived by relying on the visions and leadership of their prophets and chiefs. Chief Long Hair, born about 1730, prophesied the coming of a new civilization and told followers to accept the great changes to come. Bell Rock and Little Head, while fasting on the Rimrocks along the Yellowstone River, witnessed bright lights radiating into the night sky where the city of Billings now stands. Chief Plenty Coups foresaw the bison disappearing into the ground and being replaced by cattle. In the tradition of Crow leadership, these visions prepared the Crow for future changes and led them to maintain alliances that would best advance their interests. For example, in 1825, the Crow tribe and the United States entered into an agreement known as the Crow Friendship Treaty. Today, the Crow Nation hosts the Annual Crow Fair every August at Crow Agency, fifty miles southeast from Billings.