| Year |
History |
| 1400 |
Oral tradition: The ancestral tribe of the Crow and the Hidatsa were living the “Land of Forests and many lakes” ( The present upper Great Lakes of Canada and the United States) |
| 1450 |
Oral tradition: Two leaders of this group, No Intestines and Red Scout, fasted at Holy lake (present day Devils Lake, North Dakota), Red Scout received a vision indicating that his people would survive through the spiritual graces of Sacred Tobacco. Red Scout and his people settled on the Missouri and learned horticulture from the Mandan, eventually becoming the contemporary Hidatsa’s. No Intestines and his followers traveled on an extensive migration in search of the Sacred Tobacco. The trek eventually led them to their historic homeland, present-day southeastern Montana and northern Wyoming. This group became known as the Ashalahó/Many Lodges or the historic Mountain Crow |
| 1490 |
Oral tradition: The Mountain Crow were firmly established in their homeland, displacing the Shoshones and allying themselves with the resident Kiowa’s |
| 1600 |
Oral tradition: The next band of the Crow developed out of a separation from the Hidatsa. Sometime after No Intestines group had become established on the Plains and argument arose between two factions in the Hidatsa villages on the Missouri River. The quarrel was over the distribution of a drowned buffalo, the wife of the leader Bad Heart Bear felt that she had not received enough of the tripe. The ensuing dispute led to a permanent separation when the followers of Bad Heart Bear joined the Ashalahó Apsáalooke on the Plains. This group became known as the Binnéassiippeele/Those Who Live Amongst The River Banks, or the historic River Crow. |
| 1700 |
Oral tradition: The Apsáalooke acquired their first horses from a Shoshone camp near the Great Salt Lake. |
| 1743 |
A group of Apsáalooke camped at the confluence of the Bighorn and Little Bighorn Rivers meet with the La Vérendrye Brothers, French-Canadian traders, most likely the first encounter between the Apsáalooke and the Europeans |
| 1805 |
Lewis and Clark Expedition travels across Apsáalooke territory |
| 1805 |
On their return trip in 1806, the horses meant for Clark, being held by his sergeant, Nathaniel Pryor, are taken by Crow warriors |
| 1824 |
Beginning of mountain man fur trade era |
| 1825 |
The first treaty between the Crow and the United States is signed by Crow leader Long Hair and Major O’Fallon of the United States. The other prominent Crow leader Rotten Belly refused to sign |
| 1830 |
Female warrior Pine Leaf killed four Blackfeet at Fort Union and was named Woman Chief by Rotten Belly |
| 1833 |
Killed more than 200 Cheyenne in revenge battle; contracted smallpox from a wagon train |
| 1840 |
The Crow were afflicted smallpox epidemic, end of mountain man fur trade era |
| 1846 |
Attacked and virtually destroyed the Small Robes band of Piegan Blackfeet under Chief Rotten Belly |
| 1848 |
Caught smallpox from Northern Shoshoni tribe |
| 1849 |
Lost 600 to influenza |
| 1851 |
The Crow participated in the first Ft. Laramie Treaty signed by Chief Big Robber which stated that the Crow controlled over 33 million acres of land in present-day Montana and Wyoming, caught smallpox from Northern Shoshoni |
| 1853 |
Indian agent estimated that Crow owned 20 horses per adult male |
| 1856 |
Woman Chief killed by Gros Ventre |
| 1864 |
The outnumbered Crow successfully defended themselves against the combined forces of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho on East Pryor Creek north of present-day Pryor, Montana, the largest and most dramatic battle to protect eastern Crow lands from the Lakota invasion of the 1860’s |
| 1865 |
The Crow assisted the United States military in protecting travelers on the Bozeman Trail, three forts were established in Crow territory. |
| 1866 |
Chief Big Robber killed in duel with Northern Shoshoni Chief Washakie in Battle of Crowheart Butte |
| 1868 |
The Crow participated in the second Ft. Laramie Treaty, and their land holdings were reduced to 8 million acres in present-day Montana |
| 1869 |
The first government agency is established for the Crow on Hide Scraper Creek (present-day Mission Creek, Montana) |
| 1872 |
Crow land holdings were reduced again and the government agency is moved to present-day Absarokee, Montana |
| 1876 |
The Crow continued to support the United States military by supplying the scouts to the columns of the Centennial Campaign |
| 1877 |
The Crow repelled constant attacks against the invading Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho, with and without the assistance of the United States military, even pursuing the fleeing Lakota’s into Canada |
| 1882 |
The Crow agreed to another land cession and the government agency is moved to its present site at Crow Agency, Montana |
| 1887 |
Aided Nez Perce in flight to Canada |
| 1950 |
Water rights to Yellowtail Dam lost by tribe |
| 1983 |
Crows win inherent sovereignty case in Supreme Court |
