THE CROW INDIANS OF MONTANA 



Hjl Holii it II. I.iiiric 



Till-', ( '|-()W lu'scr\;iti()n li;is liccn t'oi- yc;il-> the Mccc;) of iiiiniiiui;il )lc 

 while \ isilors w ho iii;ihc liilu'i-iiiiaucs to the histoi-ic site of the ( Ustcf 

 l>;Mlh' l''ichl, a shoi'I (hstaiicc tVoiii ( 'I'ou Agency, or who paiiil or 

 |)h()tc)i;'rai)h ihc Imhaiis. .\c\ crlhch'ss, this sph'nchd |)coi)lc, whose h.l'tv 

 heiirinu' and ii'orucinis (h-ess wei'c the aihiiiral ion of theeai'ly e\|)h)rer^ of the 

 Plains, ha\(' pi-eserx cil to a CMiisideraWh- extent the spirit of the old times 

 and prove an endless source of deh\nht 1o the xisitiiiu etliii()loi;ist. 



Foroniost aiiioiii^- tlie relii;ioiis ohserx niiees of the Crow is llie Tohaceo 

 Dunce. Tliis is not a siuiile dance, hut a cxcle of heautifnl and iin|)ressi\ c 

 performances heginning- in the early spring' when the se(>ds of the tol)acco 

 are sown and terminating with the gatheiing in of the crop. The j)lant 

 thus cultivated is raised exclusively for its religious \ahie, and is so highly 

 prized that the ( 'row are w illing to purchase a small hag of seeds at the price 

 of a horse. Only duly achtpted members of the se\eral Tohacco societies 

 are permitted to plant seeds in the Tobacco garden, where each society 

 occupies a clearly defined plot and each couple initiated may droj) seeds in 

 two rows. 



I was lortnnate enough to witness an adoption ceremony held by one 

 of the Tobacco societies. The members of the society together with the 

 candidat(> to be adopted met in a tipi for the prei)arat()ry i)ainting and 

 singing. Here there were many songs and at each song the women rose, 

 unwrapped their sacred bundles and danced. When, with much ceremon\-, 

 the pre|)arations were completed, all marched toward the adoi)tioii lodge, 

 four stops being made on the way, in accordance with the sacred number of 

 this people. On entering the large canvas-covered lodge, the drnnnners sat 

 down at one side of an altar-like strnctiu-e symbolizing the Tobacco garden. 

 Continually during the formal and impressive ceremony, small groujis of 

 women, or more rarely of mei!, with tlieir eagle-feather fans, sacred birds' 

 head decorations, and weasel or otter skins, rose and gently swayed thcMr 

 bodies and mo\-ed their arms rhythmically back and forth. Toward noon 

 the friends of the canilidate heaped u[) l)lauket> and olhei' pi'ojx'i-ly in his 

 behalf, as a payment to his adoptixe "parent," as the person initiating him 

 is called. By way of actual initiation of the candidate he was taken between 

 two men standing at the foot of the altar and danced foin- dances with them, 

 at the s^imc time learning the songs. It was late in the afternoon when the 

 closing song was chanted, after which all nuMubers seized little green sprigs 

 and raised them aloft to symbolize and t:) promote the growth of the sacred 

 Tohacco. 



While the Tobacco ceremonies showed the serious side of the native 



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