Crow Indians were adept at hunting on horseback using bows and arrows.
The Crow Indians called themselves the Apsaalooke. This word means "children of a large beaked bird" and the translation into English somehow ended up as "Crow." The Crows lived in the Great Plains in the area that is now Wyoming and Montana. Most Crows today live on reservations in Montana and strive to keep their language and culture alive. Traditional dress and tools are part of that culture.
Arrows for Trade and the Hunt
Bows and arrows were important hunting tools, and among the Crow Indians were often used to trade for horses and even wives. A horse of average value could be had for ten arrows. Ten of those horses could be traded for a wife. Arrows, typically made from shoots of green ash, dogwood and willow trees took about a day to make. Each brave made his own arrows and they carried his identifying brand. Hunting arrows were recovered from dead game animals for reuse.
The type of point on the arrows depended on what that arrow would be used for. If the hunter was going after birds or fish, then the end of the wood would be sharpened to form a point. For larger game, or for use in war, larger arrowheads made from obsidian, antler, flint or sometimes bone would be shaped and attached to the end of the wood shaft. The flight and accuracy of the arrow was aided by attaching feathers to the opposite end of the arrow shaft.
Household Tools
Mortars and pestles, which could be as simple as a flat rock and a smaller grinding stone, were used to grind up grains, herbs or spices both for food and medicine. Needles would be fashioned out of fish or other animal bones and were used to make clothing or sew hides together to make coverings for their tipis. Tipis were tall, cone-shaped homes that used long poles for a frame and were covered with animal hide. They were large enough to sleep extended families and to allow for a fire to be built in the middle. The smoke would escape from the small hole in the top of the tipi.
The Travois
The travois was a tool used by the Crow to transport their belongings, including the tipis. These were a type of drag sled, typically built of wood and hides and pulled by dogs. Once horses were introduced into the plains, these animals were used to pull the travois. These larger, stronger animals could pull more weight and travel more quickly, enabling the Crow Indians to extend their range. Another advantage to the horse was they could be ridden during a hunt and then hitched to the travois to carry the meat back to the camp.
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