View source for Crow Indian Reservation

{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group=Crow<br><small>Apsáalooke</small>
|image=[[Image:CrowIRmap.png|200px]]
|poptime=7,900 enrolled members
|rels= Crow Way, Sundance, Tobacco Society, Christian: Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist
|langs=[[Crow language|Crow]], [[English language|English]]
|related= [[Hidatsa]]
}}

The '''Crow Indian Reservation''' (est. 1868) is the homeland of the [[Crow Tribe]] of Indians of the State of [[Montana]] in the [[United States]]. The reservation is located in parts of [[Big Horn County, Montana|Big Horn]], [[Yellowstone County, Montana|Yellowstone]], and [[Treasure County, Montana|Treasure]] counties in southern Montana. It has a land area of 3,593.56 sq mi and a total area of 3,606.54 sq mi, making it either the fifth or sixth largest reservation in the country. (Rankings are switched with the [[Standing Rock Indian Reservation]] depending on whether water areas are counted.) Reservation headquarters are in [[Crow Agency, Montana|Crow Agency]].

The Crow Tribe of Indians of the State of Montana has an enrolled tribal membership of approximately 11,000, of whom 7,900 reside on the Crow Indian Reservation. Eighty-five percent speak Crow as their first language. 
 
The Crow Indian Reservation, the largest of the seven Indian reservations in Montana, is located in south-central Montana, bordered by Wyoming to the south and the [[Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation]] to the east. The reservation encompasses approximately 2,300,000 acres, which includes the northern end of the [[Bighorn Mountains]], [[Wolf Mountains]], and [[Pryor Mountains]]. The [[Bighorn River]] flows north from the Montana-Wyoming state line, journeying north to the [[Little Bighorn River]] just outside [[Hardin, Montana]]. Part of the reservation boundary runs along the ridgeline separating Pryor Creek and the Yellowstone River. The city of [[Billings, Montana|Billings]] is approximately 10 miles northwest of this reservation boundary. 

==History==
At the [[Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851]]: Boundaries of the Crow: Commencing at the mouth of Powder river, on the Yellowstone; thence up Powder river to its source; thence along the main range of the Black hills and Wind River mountains to the head waters of the Yellowstone river; thence down the Yellowstone river to the mouth of Twenty-five Yard creek; thence to the head waters of the Muscle-shell river; thence down the Muscle-shell river to its mouth; thence to the head waters of Big Dry creek; and thence to its mouth. This treaty was never ratified.

At the [[Fort Laramie Treaty]] of 1868]]: Description of cession or reservation: U. S. set apart a reservation for their occupancy, as follows: Commencing where the one hundred and seventh meridian crosses the S. boundary of Montana territory; thence N. along said meridian to the mid-channel of Yellowstone river; thence up the mid-channel of said river to the point where it crosses the southern boundary of Montana, being the forty-fifth parallel N. latitude; thence E. along said parallel of latitude to the place of beginning. 

In 1875, President revokes order of Jan. 31, 1874, designating tract described by agreement of Aug. 16, 1873, as a reserve for Crows.

In 1876, President revokes Executive order of Oct. 20, 1875, and restores tract therein reserved to public domain.

In 1880, The Crows execute another agreement, ceding a portion of their reserve under treaty of May 7, 1868, in lieu of the one concluded May 14, 1880. By this agreement, which was confirmed by act of Congress Apr. 11, 1882, the Crow Indians of Montana ceded to the U. S. that part of their reservation contained in the following bounds: Beginning in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone river at a point opposite the mouth of Boulder creek; thence up the mid-channel of said river to the point where it crosses the southern boundary of Montana Territory, being the forty-fifth degree of N. latitude; thence E. along said parallel of latitude to a point where said parallel crosses Clarke's fork; thence N. to a point 6 miles S. of the first standard parallel, being on the township line between townships 6 and 7 S.; thence W. on said township line to the one hundred and tenth meridian of longitude; thence N. along said meridian to a point either W. or E. of the source of the eastern branch of Boulder creek; thence down said eastern branch to Boulder creek; thence down Boulder creek the place of beginning. Ratified by Congress Apr. 11, 1882.

In 1882, Confirms agreement of June 12, 1880, for cession of a portion of their reserve.

In 1897, Confirms agreement with the Crow Indians of the Crow reservation, Montana, by which they cede to the U. S. all that portion of their reservation lying W. and S. of the following lines: Beginning in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone river, at a point which is the NW. corner of sec. 36, T. 2 N., R. 27 E. of the principal meridian of Montana; thence running in a southwesterly direction, following the top of the natural divide between the waters flowing into the Yellowstone and Clarke's Fork rivers upon the W. and those flowing into Pryor creek and West Pryor creek on the E., to the base of West Pryor mountain; thence due S. and up the N. slope of said Pryor mountain on a true meridian line to a point 15 miles due N. from the established line between Montana and Wyoming; thence in a due easterly course on a parallel of latitude to a point where it intersects the mid-channel of the Big Horn river; thence following up the mid-channel of said river to a point where it crosses the Montana and Wyoming state line, except such lands in the ceded tract as have been selected and set apart for the use of individual Indians. These are specified in the President's proclamation of Oct. 15, 1892.





The [[PBS]] TV series ''[[Reading Rainbow]]'' filmed its tenth episode "The Gift of the Sacred Dog" here on June 17, 1983. The title was based on a book by [[Paul Goble]] and was narrated by actor [[Michael Ansara]].

==Communities==
*[[Crow Agency, Montana]]
*[[Fort Smith, Montana]] (part)
*[[Hardin, Montana]] (part)
*[[Lodge Grass, Montana]]
*[[Pryor, Montana]]
*[[St. Xavier, Montana]]
*[[Wyola, Montana]]

==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:American Indian reservations in Montana]]
[[Category:Crow tribe]]
[[Category:Geography of Big Horn County, Montana]]
[[Category:Geography of Treasure County, Montana]]
[[Category:Geography of Yellowstone County, Montana]]
[[Category:1868 establishments in Montana]]