For more than a hundred years, Crow families have gathered to parade, powwow, and rodeo together in the famed tepee encampment known as Crow Fair.
Every third week in August, the annual Crow Fair takes place along the banks of the Little Bighorn River, near Crow Agency, Montana. It is time of happiness, a break from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. It is a time to reconnect with family and friends, some of whom make the trek clear across the country. There is no better place to be than Crow Fair. Families gather — some a week before the fair starts — to prepare, set up, and occupy campsites that have been occupied by generations of family members.
Camping
For my family, Crow Fair starts with the preparation of the campsite, which we will occupy for an entire week. Most campsites have arbor shades covered with cottonwood saplings that grow abundant along
Each camp is unique and to the likings of the families who occupy them. We set up four canvas wall tents, three of which are used by family members as the primary place of residence for the duration of the fair. The other serves as our pantry, for food and other necessities. Then, three, sometimes four, tepees are set up, each used for primary residence. Both the wall tents and the tepees have a liner along the interior for privacy and to help during cooler nights. The interiors the dwellings vary, but more than likely, a carpet cut to fit is placed on the ground inside, then a bed, and whatever else is needed such as containers for clothing, dance, or parade regalia. Each dwelling has a door, typically made of canvas or other heavy fabric.
Under the shaded arbor, there are cooking areas, picnic tables or tables, chairs, and/or benches for eating. Some camps have propane camp stoves to cook meals on. The shaded arbor serves as the primary meeting place to host as well as to gather and eat. At nighttime, the entire campsite is lit up by propane lanterns.
Horses
We bring a number of horses each year not only to ride around camp but for also for parading. Our horses are usually kept in makeshift corrals behind our camp. The number of horses we bring varies from year to year.
Horses have been part of Crow Fair for as long as I can remember — I’m sure they have been part of Crow Fair since its beginnings more than a hundred years ago. Signs are posted throughout the campground indicating that horses and riders have the right-of-way during the fair. Horses are the primary mode of transportation for many of the Crow children to get from their camp to their favorite swimming hole, to the arbor to get refreshments, to their friends’ camps, and even to the rodeo grounds/racetrack, which, depending where one camps, might be a mile away.
Rodeo and Horse Racing
My family has been involved in both the rodeo and horse racing that take place during Crow Fair. On numerous occasions, we have run either the race meet or the rodeo. When someone in the family is elected to serve as the rodeo manager or racing commissioner for the year, we all take part in helping.
Horse racing has been an integral part of my life growing up. My father and uncles raced horses throughout the Northwest, but they all looked forward each year to racing their horses during the fair. There are quarter horse races, Thoroughbred races, Indian relay races, and occasionally Shetland pony races. As a Crow, nothing is more satisfying than winning a horse race at Crow Fair.
Hundreds of rodeo contestants gather each year for the Crow Fair, some from as far away as Florida. The rodeo consists of all the standard events such as bareback, steer wrestling, team roping, ladies breakaway, saddle bronc, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. Some years there are junior and senior events such senior breakaway, senior team roping, junior barrel racing, junior breakaway, and junior bull riding. Whatever the event, Crow Fair brings out the best in each contestant, and even more so for the Crow cowboys and cowgirls.
The racetrack and rodeo grounds are also home to hundreds of people, young and old, on horseback, riding everything from a Shetland pony to a full-size quarter horse. In between the actual horse races, you can witness a side show of races between children and young adults, determining who has the fastest horse.
Parade
Being part of the Crow Fair Parade has always been and will always be an honor. It’s something we all look forward to, and it’s a lot of fun. The majority of the participants are on horseback, most everyone displaying the intricate beadwork of family members both past and present. During the parade, sons-in-law and daughters-in-laws are honored with new beaded outfits and are displayed to everyone in attendance.
Preparations for the parade begin early in the morning depending on who and how they are parading, whether by horse or by a vehicle float. The majority of time, those in my family will ride a horse. After horses are watered, groomed, and saddled, family members start adding the regalia each person will use.
Once the riders are dressed in their traditional outfits, they mount up and make their way to where the parade starts, riding through the campground and joining other parades along the way. Parading through camp, one can’t help but smile and enjoy the ride.
As Crow Indians, we sometimes make wishes at the end of the parade on Sunday that we may again parade the following year.
Arbor and Powwow
The circular arbor where the annual Crow Fair Powwow is held lies near the center of the campground. As with many fairs across the country, there is an abundance of vendors selling food, drinks, jewelry, clothing items, toys for kids, and Native American craft supplies.
Each night, hundreds of dancers gather in their finest regalia to display their dancing skills, each in their own categories. Groups of powwow singers set their drums on the perimeter of the dance area. Lawn chairs skirt the dancing grounds and are occupied by dancers, families, and visitors. Walking around the arbor, we meet and greet family and friends, some of whom are solely here for the powwow. From the time the powwow starts with the grand entry to when the dancing ends around midnight, the singing and dancing is usually nonstop.
River
The backdrop of the Crow Fair Campgrounds is the Little Bighorn River. The river serves as a place to water horses that are kept on the campground. From early morning just before sunrise to sunset, one can see horseback riders of all ages watering their horses. On hot August days, young and old alike enjoy the cool waters of the river. Sometimes you can see children swimming and jumping off the backs of their horses into the water.
Crow Fair begins the third Thursday in August near Crow Agency, Montana. For more information, visit crow-nsn.gov/crow-fair.html.
This article appears in our August/September 2023 issue, available on newsstands now or through our C&I Shop.
Photography by Chris Douglas