Crow Fair History
CROW FAIR HISTORY
Chichia'xxaawasuua
The Beginning of Crow Fair. The Crow Fair started in 1904 with the idea that a
country fair format would encourage the Crow people to become self-supporting
farmers. In 1904, the Federal Indian Service Agent organized an agricultural fair
as a display of crops and livestock grown by the Crow farmers and ranchers. In
Crow Agency, the district farms, boarding and day schools brought their best of
show in farm and garden produce and livestock. The Crow leaders requested
horse-racing and hot dances as a part of the fair activities. The agent and Crow
leaders struck a deal, and all of these activities and competitions together
brought about the Crow Fair of 1904.
History of the Crow Fair Grounds.
In accordance of the Dawes Allotment Act,
the original allotment, steward and owner of the Crow Fair Grounds was the
Chief of Police, Big Medicine in the early 1900's. Thereafter, Edward Big
Medicine became heir to the land and after his passing his children; Annie,
Grace, Donna, Ethel, Marietta, Maxine, Charlotte, Walter-Merle, and Willard Big
Medicine were the last allotted owners. To reduce the conflict between camping
space among the members of the tribe, the Big Medicine family and decedents
sold the land to the Crow Tribe in the 1970's. Today the Crow Fair Campgrounds
is a Tribal Reserve held in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, there
was a sister to Edward Big Medicine, Juanita who retained her share and her
family still occupy the land around the Crow Fair Grounds.
Traditional Encampment.
The Crow Fair encampment is one of a kind in Indian
Country. The "Tipi Capital of the World," is aptly named, with over a thousand
five hundred (1500) tipis and as many tents that house extended Crow families
and their guests. Ten thousand Crow Indians and intertribal guests stay in the
encampment. Arranged by reservation districts campsites are often held by the
family for decades; some since the 1920's. A campsite has a central common
shade covered with leaves or canvas. have four to six tables, each with a fully
equipped kitchen and camp furniture. Four or five tipis are pitched on both
sides of the shade. Families move to camp during the week prior to the Fair.
Tipi poles harvested from the Pryor or Big Horn Mountains are loaded to camp,
21 poles to each tipi. Naming and achievement ceremonies, birthday and
anniversary feasts are held in camp. Horses for parade and riding are brought
and kept in a camp corral. "Pedestrians and Horses Have Right of Way" is a sign
posted at the entrance to the Crow Fairgrounds. Moving out day is Tuesday
after the Fair is concluded.
Crow Fair Royalty and Officers.
In the early Fall the Crow Fair Committee sponsors
a Miss Crow Nation pageant. The Pageant judges are past Crow Fair royalty. The
Royalty contestants are judged on introductions in the Crow language, talent, public
speaking ability and past Crow Fair participation. The Crow Fair Royalty are elected
by the judges for a full year. Miss Crow Nation, Jr. Miss Crow Nation, Miss Tiny Tot
Crow Nation and the District Princesses attend college and university powwows and
tribal nations powwows, representing the Crow Fair and making invitations to the
public to attend the Fair. Crow Fair Officers are elected on Tuesday following the
Fair each year, and are General Manager, Rodeo Manager, Racing Manager and
Parade Manager
Apsaalooke Dances and Honoring Ceremonies. Crow Days are Thursday and Monday
of Crow Fair week. Crow Days feature Crow dance contests, dance specials and
honoring ceremonies. Crow Fair royalty and elected officers will have honor dances
with honor songs and giveaways. Special emphasis is given to the young First
Dancers, as Head Dancers from each district bring them into the Hot Dance Circle at
the Crow Fair Arbor. Giveaways are ceremonial gift-giving to clan relatives, planned
and carried out by family leaders and managed by clan Announcers or Camp Criers.
Crows are noted for their concurrent giveaway ceremonies. Gifts include Pendleton
blankets, quilts, shawls, and fabric, and most noted --- prized horses.
Traditional Morning Parades.
From the buffalo days procession of moving camp to
follow the great buffalo herds of the northern plains, the Apsaalooke people
maintain the parading tradition, riding horseback in their finest regalia. Mornings,
Friday through Sunday, the 10 am parade is led by a color guard of Native American
Veterans, the Crow Nation's elected officials, and Crow Fair royalty (Miss Crow
Nation and six district princesses). The Crow Fair Parade Manager with outriders
organize the one hundred fifty to two hundred Crow people on horseback in full
regalia, with categories: traditional old-time saddles (men, women, boys and girls),
men's war bonnets, men's tie-bows, western hats for men and boys, western saddles
for women and girls. Decorated cars, pickups and flatbeds are paraded with family
members in full regalia, for prizes as well.
Crow Fair Royalty and Officers.
In the early Fall the Crow Fair Committee sponsors
a Miss Crow Nation pageant. The Pageant judges are past Crow Fair royalty. The
Royalty contestants are judged on introductions in the Crow language, talent, public
speaking ability and past Crow Fair participation. The Crow Fair Royalty are elected
by the judges for a full year. Miss Crow Nation, Jr. Miss Crow Nation, Miss Tiny Tot
Crow Nation and the District Princesses attend college and university powwows and
tribal nations powwows, representing the Crow Fair and making invitations to the
public to attend the Fair. Crow Fair Officers are elected on Tuesday following the
Fair each year, and are General Manager, Rodeo Manager, Racing Manager and Parade Manager.
Apsaalooke Dances and Honoring Ceremonies.
Crow Days are Thursday and Monday
of Crow Fair week. Crow Days feature Crow dance contests, dance specials and
honoring ceremonies. Crow Fair royalty and elected officers will have honor dances
with honor songs and giveaways. Special emphasis is given to the young First
Dancers, as Head Dancers from each district bring them into the Hot Dance Circle at
the Crow Fair Arbor. Giveaways are ceremonial gift-giving to clan relatives, planned
and carried out by family leaders and managed by clan Announcers or Camp Criers.
Crows are noted for their concurrent giveaway ceremonies. Gifts include Pendleton
blankets, quilts, shawls, and fabric, and most noted --- prized horses.
Parading Through History.
On June 25, 1805, the Crow Indians paraded into
written history. Canadian trader Francois Laroque wrote: "there were some 654
(Crow) men, wearing brightly decorated buckskin clothing, carrying painted
rawhide shields, and sitting astride their prize ponies, filed solemnly through three
Hidatsa and Mandan villages that hugged the south shore of the Knife River
(Missouri River tributary in then Dakota Territory), before turning back to the
elegant tipis and warm campfires the (Crow) women of their tribe had set up just
west of the settlements."[i] In 1832,Artist George Catlin captured a sketch of a
Crow Indian warrior, and wrote, "no part of the human race could present a more
picturesque and thrilling appearance on horseback than a part of Crow rigged out
in all their plumes and trappings --- galloping about and yelping in what they call a
war-parade"[ii]. This drawing shows a Crow warrior astride a rearing horse
showing war bonnets on both rider and horse, the warrior with flowing knee length
black hair, decorated warshirt, shield and spear, a horse with trappings.
Intertribal Powwow.
The Intertribal Powwow is held from Friday through Sunday
at Crow Fair Arbor. The Crow Fair Masters of Ceremonies manage the events: the
grand entry of eight hundred dancers led by the Color Guard and Crow Fair
Royalty; intertribal dancing, then dance competitors. Dance categories include
traditional and fancy dancing for men, women, boys and girls in multi-aged groups.
Grass dancing, chicken dancing and fancy dancing are additional men's categories.
Tiny tots and golden age groups also have a competition. Dance specials are
sponsored by Crow Fair Royalty and Officers. Several honor dances will be held
each evening, with honor songs and giveaways. Fifteen to twenty Drum groups
from all over Indian Country will encircle the dance arena, and accompany the
various dance categories, and compete for drum prizes.
New Arbor for Crow Fair. During 2022,
The Frank White Clay Administration and
Advisors led by Crow architect Daniel Glenn designed an entirely new Crow Fair
Arbor. With private funds, the Arbor construction was completed for Crow Fair
2023. The new Arbor has natural wood pillars and surfaces throughout, a spacious
stairstep tiered bleacher for camp chairs, announcers stand, central and subsidiary
lighting for nighttime events and powwows and world class sound system. The Arbor
has exterior stalls for Indian arts and crafts and food outlets. An avenue running to
the west has lighting and locations for arts and crafts vendors and food trucks. The
Arbor is used throughout the year for tribal events.
Crow Fair Disruptions.
Disruptions of the Crow Fair have occurred. First, during
World War II, no Crow Fair was held. Second, the Crow nation's era of controversy
over the Yellowtail Dam construction divided the tribe into two major factions; each
faction held their own Crow Fair ... the River Crow faction in Crow Agency on the
traditional fairgrounds and the Mountain Crow faction in the Valley of the Chiefs, in
Lodge Grass. Third, during the Covid-19 epidemic, the Crow nation cancelled Crow
Fair 2020.
References
[1] Francois Antoine Larocque, "Yellowstone Journal," in W. Raymond Wood and
Thomas D. Thiessen, eds. Early Fur Trade on the Northern Plains: Canadian Traders
Among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indian, 1738 - 1818. Norman: University of Oklahoma
Press, 1985. Pp 215.
[1] Catlin, George. "Crow Warrior Drawing." Artwork of the Newberry Library of
Chicago IL.
[1] Old Horn, D. and McCleary, T. Unpublished manuscript. Little Big Horn College
Library/Archives. 1995.
-History of Crow Fair, Compiled with various historical sources by Dr. Janine Pease.
