The Crows were hunting people so their main source of food was bison, but they also hunted mountain sheep, deer, and other game. Buffalo meat was often roasted or boiled in a stew with prairie turnips. The rump, tongue, liver, heart, and kidneys all were considered delicacies. Dried bison meat was ground with fat and berries to make pemmican. They will have also eaten seed, tubers, nuts, berries, maize, squash, and beans. Some Crow bands raised corn in their village gardens, but others grew only tobacco there. Sometimes Crow Indians traded for corn from more agricultural tribes such as the Mandans. Crow women also gathered herbs, fruits, and other plants to add to their diet.
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Aps°alooke, are a Siouan-language tribe of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley. The name ‘Crow’ is a slight mistranslation of the tribe's own name for themselves, Apsaalooke (pronounced opp-sah-loh-kay,) which means ‘children of the large-beaked bird.’ Sometimes you can see the same word spelled Absarokee or Absaroka. Today, Crow people usually use the English name ‘Crow’ themselves. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana. Tribal headquarters are located at Crow Agency, Montana.
The Crow had more horses than any other Plains tribe; in 1914 they numbered approximately 30 to 40 thousand head. By 1921 their mounts had dwindled to just 1,000. They also had many dogs; one source counted five to six hundred. Unlike some other tribes, they did not consume dog. The Crow were a nomadic people. Nearly all Crow people speak English today, but many still speak their native Crow language as well. If you'd like to know a few easy Crow words, ‘kaheé’ (pronounced similar to ‘ka-hay’) is a friendly greeting, and ‘ahó’ means ‘thank you.’
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Aps°alooke, are a Siouan-language tribe of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley. The name ‘Crow’ is a slight mistranslation of the tribe's own name for themselves, Apsaalooke (pronounced opp-sah-loh-kay,) which means ‘children of the large-beaked bird.’ Sometimes you can see the same word spelled Absarokee or Absaroka. Today, Crow people usually use the English name ‘Crow’ themselves. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana. Tribal headquarters are located at Crow Agency, Montana.
The Crow had more horses than any other Plains tribe; in 1914 they numbered approximately 30 to 40 thousand head. By 1921 their mounts had dwindled to just 1,000. They also had many dogs; one source counted five to six hundred. Unlike some other tribes, they did not consume dog. The Crow were a nomadic people. Nearly all Crow people speak English today, but many still speak their native Crow language as well. If you'd like to know a few easy Crow words, ‘kaheé’ (pronounced similar to ‘ka-hay’) is a friendly greeting, and ‘ahó’ means ‘thank you.’
