Crow

The Crow Indians, who were made up of many small clans, once inhabited the Yellowstone River Valley, which covers parts of Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. Today, many of these American Indians of the Great Plains reside in a reservation in Montana, although some live in major cities in the western U.S. One interesting fact about the Crow Indian culture is that women were held in high regard and played an important role within the clan.
Crow men hunted bison, sheep, deer, elk, and other game.
The main source of food for these nomadic Indians was Bison. A popular Bison dish called pemmican, consisted of dried Bison meat mixed with berries and animal fat and could be preserved for months at a time.
Women gathered nuts, berries, herbs and seasonal roots.
Some clans not only hunted but also grew squash, beans, and corn.

Since the Crow Indians were not a coastal tribe, they often made simple rafts consisting of several logs tied together when they needed to cross water. Swimmers would grip onto ropes and pull the lead across the body of water.
They relied largely on travois to transport everything from children to meats on land over long distances. Travois were a type of drag sled. The framework was built with a combination of netting and poles in such a way that it could be dragged by hand, horses or dogs.
They would travel great distances on foot, hoping to steal horses from their enemies and ride them back home.
Women played an important role in this Matriarchal society where clan lineage is traced trough the mother's family. They held a lot of tribal power, their voices were always heard and sometimes women were even chiefs. Upon marriage the men would move into the woman's house and join her family instead of the reverse.
Not only were the women in charge of home life, including looking after the children and doing household chores, but they physically built the houses, or tipis, each time the clan would move. They moved often to follow bison herds and had to have their tents disassembled and ready to go very quickly.
The Crow men were hunters. They were skilled at using bows and arrows and spears to catch their prey. They were also responsible for defending their family against attack. They often used war clubs and shields made of hide for protection.
Both men and women participated in art such as quill embroidery and carvings, music, and storytelling.

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