CrowNews.Net

Slideshow: Ultimate Warriors Race During Crow Native Days

Click on the picture to view more than a dozen photos of Sunday's race.

Photos by Casey Kills Pretty Enemy
CrowNews.Net

State, Fort Peck Tribes Plan Grant Writing Workshop

The Montana Board of Crime Control and the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes will hold a grant writing workshop at Fort Peck Community College June 24-25.

Classes are limited to 30 people per class, with preference given to Montana tribes and other American Indian agencies and organizations. You are invited to bring grants in progress for input and assistance.        

Tribal Leaders Council to Co-Host Environmental Conference

By Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council 

The Montana -Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council is counting the days until the National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management, which will be held at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana Convention Center June 24-26. So far this event, co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has already attracted more than 550 participants from across the country.

Primary Election Recap: County Dems Go for Obama, Turn Out in Record Numbers

Sharon Peregoy-Stewart, pictured center in the red, elk-tooth dress, waves a sign during Barack Obama's visit to the reservation last month. Peregoy won the Democratic primary race for state Senate District 21. Obama took 78 percent of the vote in Big Horn County (Crow News/Casey Kills Pretty Enemy).

Mary Hudetz
CrowNews.Net

When he visited the reservation last month, Sen. Barack Obama was adopted into the tribe, given a Crow name and ended a speech he gave on Indian policy by saying he wouldn't forget his "own brothers and own sisters."

When Crows went to the polls last week, they voted for Obama in numbers that suggest many tribal members really do consider him one of their own.

Obama, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, took 90 percent of the vote among the reservation's Democrats. Hillary Clinton won nine percent of the vote.

The New York Times on Off-Reservation Schools

CrowNews.Net

As summer nears, a New York Times piece looks at two area high schools and how "the intertwined arcs of Hardin and Lodge Grass have made for a bittersweet experience."

In a Sunday story, reporter Kirk Johnson writes that Hardin's student body has grown in recent years because of a decision handed down by the Hardin School District in 2004 not to bus students from Hardin to Lodge Grass as well as Crow students' and parents' preference for the off-reservation school. Meanwhile, Lodge Grass High School has lost more than a third of its student enrollment in the last eight years.

The shift in numbers between the two schools, Johnson notes, has mostly benefited Hardin High while Lodge Grass faces continued budget cuts and a dwindling staff.

Click here for the full story.

Crows Thrilled to Be Obama's 'Brothers and Sisters'

Sen. Barack Obama greets supporters on his visit Monday to the Crow Reservation. (Click here or on the photo above to see a slideshow of April Gregory's photos from the Obama event).

Story by Mary Hudetz | Photos by April Gregory
reznetnews.org

Some Crow tribal members waited in line more than six hours to ensure they would have a good view when the first presidential candidate to visit their reservation stepped to the stage to speak.

Others spent those hours braiding their hair and fastening the ties of their traditional outfits so they would look their best when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took the microphone and explained his stance on issues that affect hundreds of Native American tribes throughout the country but often go unmentioned by candidates running for national office.

"Somebody finally recognized us enough to come an extra few hours," said Beverly Big Man, a Crow Agency Elementary School teacher. "We're always the forgotten ones."

Slideshow: Obama Visits Crow Country

Several thousand people attend the Barack Obama rally in Crow Agency Monday.

By Mary Hudetz | Photos by Casey Kills Pretty Enemy
CrowNews.Net

Sen. Barack Obama, the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, came to Crow Country Monday, outlining his stance on some of the many issues facing Native Americans and saying that if elected president he would honor treaty obligations.

On June 3, Montana and South Dakota Democrats will weigh in on the race for the Democratic party's nomination and the two states' primaries will mark the end of the historic 2008 primary season. Obama's visit to Crow marked the first time a presidential candidate campaigned on the Crow reservation.

Video: 'Barack Black Eagle' Vows to Honor Treaties, Brings Spotlight to Crow Country

CrowNews.Net

In case you missed the rally in Crow Agency or you were there and just want to see video footage from the event, the video above -- posted to YouTube by the Obama campaign -- includes excerpts of Obama's speech and people in the crowd.

The New York Times also has footage of a laughter-filled moment during the event when Obama attempted to say "Absaalooke" several times before getting the pronunciation right. (Click here to go to the Times' website and watch the video).

Obama Plans Visit to Crow Country

CrowNews.Net

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak in Crow Agency Monday during an afternoon rally at the Apsaalooke Veterans Park on Bala Street.

While the campaign confirmed late Friday afternoon that the Illinois senator would visit the reservation, word of a possible Obama event happening in Crow Agency began to spread among tribal members earlier this week. The candidate will also hold a town hall meeting in Billings and a rally in Bozeman Monday.

The Crow Agency event is set to start at  2:45 p.m., according to a release from the campaign, and all guests must enter town from Interstate 90 Exit 510, which is the exit located closest to Little Bighorn Battlefield. Admission is free and tickets are not required but reservations can be made at mt.barackobama.com. Because of security reasons, bags are not permitted at any of Monday's events, and signs and banners are not allowed either. 

Flickr Photo Credit: Barack Obama campaign

Tribal Leaders Council Sponsoring Breast Cancer Awareness Event

The Yellowstone City-County Health Department - in conjunction with the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council and others - is sponsoring an event to provide American Indian women with an opportunity to take charge of their health.  On Tuesday, May 20, 2008 American Indian women are invited to gather at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church located at 119 North 33^rd Street in Billings. 

In celebration of May Pink Ribbon Month, the agencies are providing an opportunity for native women to enjoy a fun evening making flannel throw pillows, learning about traditional native games and women’s health issues while enjoying the company of other native women.   

Special guest speaker Jillene Joseph (Gros Ventre) will share her wealth of knowledge on the topic of American Indian women’s wellness.  She is the current executive director of the Native Wellness Institute in Portland, Oregon. The event begins at 5:00 p.m. and includes a light dinner. 

In addition to flannel pillow making and learning about women’s health concerns, those attending the event will have the opportunity to win door prizes.  The gathering is open to all women in Yellowstone County and the surrounding areas. 

For more information and to reserve a place at the event, call Dyani Bingham at the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council at 252-2550. 

Senate District 21 Candidate Profiles

This week and next, CrowNews.Net is publishing profiles of the candidates for Senate District 21.  This district includes Hardin and the Crow reservation.  The candidates are: Norma Bixby(D), Kenneth Phillip Brien Jr.(D), Randen Schoppe(R), Sharon Stewart-Peregoy(D), and Chip Watts(D).

Wyola Wins Senior Handgame Championship

CrowNews.Net

In the finale of the annual hand game championships, the Wyola Mighty Few District beat the Center Lodge(Reno) District on Sunday May 4 in Crow Agency. The championship game lasted about 90 minutes.The tournament was held at the Multi Purpose building and featured teams, wearing their hand-made outfits to play the tribe's traditional game.

The Junior Handgame tournament for players younger than 30 was held the previous weekend in Crow Agency. The Junior team from the Big Horn District took home the championship by beating the River Crows.

Young Crow Man Spreading Obama's Message

By Kevin Abourezk
reznetnews.org                                                   

In the summer of 2006, Samuel Kohn logged more than 7,000 miles on his car criss-crossing his home state of Montana.

As a Dartmouth College freshman, he was on a mission to find out what his state's tribes thought about a state legislative act that required all K-12 students to learn about Native history and culture.

Last week, the 21-year-old Crow tribal member hit the road again on a different kind of mission.

He wants to find out what tribes in Montana think about Sen. Barack Obama. And he's happy with what he's seen so far.

In Albuquerque, Big Day Takes Prize for Beaded Doll

On April 10th, the Indian Arts and Crafts Association announced the winners of its 2008 Artist of the Year Competition during its annual Spring Wholesale Market held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This year’s top award, “Artist of the Year” went to Mary Lou Big Day, a beadworker and doll maker from the Crow Nation in Montana for her “Crow Traveling Medicine Beaded Doll with Cradleboard.”

Mary Lou Big Day has been making dolls since she was a little girl.

Apsaalooke Bar Association Formed

By Dale Kindness
CrowNews.Net

   The Crow Tribal Court Bar Association (CTCBA) was created by act of the Crow Tribal Legislature in 2001 and the first Crow Tribal Court Bar Examination was administered in November 2002 at the Little Big Horn College.  A stated legislative purpose of creating the CTCBA was to raise the standards and qualifications for people who practice law and represent people in the Crow Tribal Court by making it a requirement that they pass the Crow Bar Examination. The exam is a four-hour written test of one's knowledge of laws applicable to the Crow Tribe of Indians, including constitutional, treay, traditional, common law, statutory and case law of the Crow Tribe and federal courts, particularly decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

In January 2008, members of the CTCBA met for the purpose of officially organizing into a professional entity comparable to other recognized tribal, state and federal bars in the United States.  Corporate and organizational documents will be filed with the Crow Tribal Secretary's Office as well as the Montana Secretary of State's Office in order to be recognized in each jurisdiction. Members decided to name the organization the "Apsaalooke Bar Association" (ABA) and selected Dale Kindness, Crow Agency, as acting president and Bobbi Schenderline, Lodge Grass, as acting secretary-treasurer until official elections for officers are held in the near future.

State Housing Board to Meet in Crow

By Montana Board of Housing

The Montana Board of Housing will hold their monthly public meeting Monday. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. and will be held at the Crow Tribal Housing Authority.

“The Montana Board of Housing is a champion for housing issues across Montana,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer said. “I support the board’s continued efforts to make safe, affordable housing accessible to every Montanan.”

Community leaders and members of the public interested in programs offered by the MBOH will have a chance to talk with board members about housing issues at the beginning of the meeting.

Head Start Hand Games

    

Photos by Casey Kills Pretty Enemy
CrowNews.Net

Tiny tots from Lodge Grass, Pryor, Fort Smith and Crow Agency gathered in the Crow Multi-Purpose Building Friday for the reservation-wide Headstart Hand Game Tournament.

Editor's note: You can also click here to view Casey's photos on flickr.com.

Absaloka Mine May Expand

Here's a recent Billings Gazette article that details Westmoreland Coal's plan to expand the Absaloke mine southward onto the Crow reservation. According to the Associated Press, the expansion would allow mining of 77 million tons of coal and extend the life of the mine.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs will host a public hearing on the issue in Hardin on April 23.

Read the full article on the Billings Gazette web site here.

Hardin High Program Raises Student Voices

Members of Hardin High's RSVP Leadership Team include from left, Hayden Hooker, Joseph Doyle, Jordan Minnick, Damon Eastman and the group's advisor Mr. Mitch Evans. (not pictured: Kemule Bull Shows and Jarvis Weibert).

By Jordan Minnick
Hardin High School

Hardin High School is breaking ground with a student-facilitated school improvement program called RSVP (Raising Student Voice and Participation). Amazingly, Hardin High is also the only Class-A school in Montana to administer the program .

Big Horn County Candidates File For State Legislature

By Brandon Gonski
CrowNews.Net

The candidate filing deadline for the 2009 Montana State Legislative election was Thursday and a total of nine candidates registered their intent to run for legislative seats representing Big Horn County.

All seats will be open this term.

Rep. Veronica Small Eastman has not registered to run for re-election in House District 42. Rep. Norma Bixby of House District 41 has registered for the state senate race.

Five candidates are vying for the seat in Senate District 21. They are Kenneth Phillip Brien Jr. (D), Randen Schoppe (R), Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D), Chip Watts (D), and Norma Bixby.

Those running for Bixby's seat in House District 41 are Rebecca A. Convery (D), Raymond King (R), and J. David Roundstone (D).

District 42 candidates are Bill Joseph (R) and Carolyn Pease-Lopez (D).

A full list of registered candidates in all districts and contact information for all candidates can be found at http://sos.mt.gov/

Tribe Receives Economic Planning Grant

The office of Rep. Denny Rehberg has announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce authorized a $44,000 economic planning grant to be awarded to the Crow tribe.

Tim Real Bird, the economic planner with the tribe's Economic Development Office who wrote the grant, said the money will fund his position.

In the Heart of Crow Country, Courage and Honor

CrowNews.Net

The man who grew up in the Valley of the Chiefs and later performed the deeds needed to become a Crow chief was nominated Wednesday for one of the nation’s highest honors.

Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, a leading voice on Crow history and culture, has been selected as a choice candidate for the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo. 

“In Montana, we are fortunate to have many present-day reminders of a land and a people of former times,” Tester wrote in his nomination letter to President Bush. “Joe is not only one such reminder, but a shining case.”

BIA Forestry Seeks Input from Tribal Members

Looking south towards Wyoming from the top of the Big Horn Mountains' Black Canyon. Crow News Photo/April Gregory.

By Bob Dillon
BIA Forestry Department

Every 15 years we do an inventory of the reservation's forests so we know how much timber there is, how fast it is growing, and if there are insect or disease problems we need to deal with. We also identify the timber's age, species and size class.

We took inventory during the summer of 2006. The Crow Reservation has 160,535 acres of forestland.  There are 79,552 acres of commercial forest that are available for management in the Wolf and Pryor mountains, and the Ceded Strip; 19,627 acres of commercial woodland (hardwood species), 1,391 acres of reserved woodland (hardwood species in the Big Horn Mountains), and 59,965 acres of reserved timberland (Big Horn Mountains).

We will use this information to update the Forest Management Plan.

The Forest Management Plan gives us direction on how to manage the timber. We will be seeking input from the tribe and tribal members. We will hold public meetings, and will have a draft plan available for comments.

Advocates for Hardin Jail Protest at State Capitol

By JENNIFER McKEE
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - The dispute over a 464-bed jail sitting empty at the edge of Hardin was on stark display here Tuesday as hundreds of Hardin-area jail supporters filled the Capitol rotunda for a rally.

Tournament Teams Face Off

Click on the image above to see the audio slide show.
To download photos for personal use visit: http://www.flickr.com/groups/crownews/

Story by Jennifer Kirby | Photos by Adam Sings In The Timber and Emily Haas
CrowNews.Net

Families and friends gathered in Lodge Grass last Saturday night for an informal hand game tournament. Seven teams paid the $100 entry fee, hoping to win the $700 prize.

Albert Gros Ventre, the announcer at the event, explained that tournaments like these occur frequently and sometimes address a need in the community. 

“We’ve had a number of deaths here recently, so we offer the prayer to get rid of bad vibes," he said. "Then we can have fun and have a good time."

Crow Fair Board Names MCs, Drum Groups and More

CrowNews.Net

The tribal members who will work with Albert Gros Ventre, this year's Crow Fair powwow director, and help run the celebration in August have been selected and are featured on a recently released flier for the event.

The handbill includes the names of the 2008 arena directors, singing judges and invited drum groups. All drums of the Apsaalooke will be selected as the powwow's host drums, according to the flier, and Jason Good Striker of Canada, and the Apsaalooke Nation's Dale and Robert "Corky" Old Horn are scheduled to be this year's masters of ceremonies.

Seven dance categories and three singing contests are also promised. Stay tuned, as dance specials and hand drum contests will be announced in the coming months.

Tribe, State Sign Economic Development Pact

       
Members of the tribal legislature stand with Rep. Dennis Rehberg, R-Mont. Click here for more photos. (Photo by Jeff Garrard).

By Mary Hudetz
CrowNews.Net

The Crow Tribe and the state have become the first in the country to sign a compact that intends to make it more feasible for banks to provide loans on the reservation. In the past, banks often shied away from financing business ventures and other interests in Crow Country.

Fundraiser to Feature Tuff Harris

By Rosella Shane
CrowNews.Net

Tuff Harris will be coming to the multi-purpose building in Crow Age ncy on Feb. 15, 2008 to visit with the Crow Nation Boys & Girls Club members and the Big Horn Optimist Club of Hardin. This event benefits the Crow Nation Boys & Girls Club, is open to the public and will last from 4-7 p.m. Activities include a pop-shot contest and a raffle drawing for a football signed by Tuff. We are very excited to have him talk to the boys and girls of the Crow Reservation.

Meal, Music and Meeting: Hymns Project Plans Potluck

CrowNews.Net

The Crow Hymns Project will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Crow Agency Elementary School. The evening will include song, a potluck and planning for the project's upcoming elders dinner, which is set to happen in March. All are welcome. The project also holds regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month.

College Students and Staff Await Bigger, Better Library

Larry Kindness, construction liaison and building inspector for Little Big Horn College, discusses building plans for the school's new library.

Story by Brett Thomas-DeJongh|Photos by Tyler Wilson
CrowNews.Net

Children sit around the fireplace, listening to a storyteller weave a tale. A college student—ready to start work on a term paper—searches rows of book shelves. On the periphery, a couple of teens update Myspace pages. Little Big Horn College administrators take care of business on the second floor, and below them the college archives hold the history of the Apsaalooke, the region and more.   

This is the vision librarian Tim Bernardis has for the $7 million library center that is being built a stone’s throw from the school’s administration building.

New Year's Eve in Crow Agency

Click to Play

On the final night of 2007, dances were held to ring in the New Year.

Native Nativity

CrowNews.Net

A manger scene staged at Crow Agency's Apsaalooke Center during the tribe's annual senior citizens dinner featured a baby Jesus, played by four-month-old Lucia Real Bird. Lucia was wrapped in a cradle board made by her grandmother Birdie Real Bird. The wise men and Joseph donned head dresses and buckskin suits for the occasion. Mother Mary wore an elk tooth dress and the shepherds were cloaked in wool, Hudson Bay coats. Heywood Big Day III, pictured fourth from the left and playing Joseph, contributed this photo.

We at CrowNews.Net hope your holidays were as bright as the stars we saw in the Big Sky on Christmas night.

How 2007 Changed Us

By Jay Harris and Mary Hudetz
CrowNews.Net

With the final hours of 2007 upon us, we are taking a look back at who our Crow news makers were, and what changes the tribe saw, enjoyed or endured during the last 12 months.

On Honoring Our Veterans

Veterans lead a 2007 Crow Fair parade. Photo by Adam Sings In The Timber.

By Jay Harris
CrowNews.Net

We modern Crows have honored our modern warriors through a Veteran's Park, a Veterans Day Pow-Wow, and other important events and programs.

From U.S. army scouts who served in the Great Sioux War to the soldiers and sailors fighting today in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Crows have been on the frontlines in virtually every major military operation the United States has engaged in since the establishment of the Crow Reservation in 1868. 

But not only have our men and women been in the fight, Crows have made many significant contributions and many have distinguished themselves with military honors. 

This holiday season many Crows and thousands of American Indians from other tribes will not be home to spend time with their friends and family. They'll be busy serving our nation in the armed forces. They are the American soldiers, sailors, and airmen that represent tribal nations across the country and their selfless service is deserving of the highest thanks we can possibly give them.

A Soldier's Return Home

Zita Yellowmule, left, and daughter Denica, right, stand by Emma Yellowmule with photos of Pfc. John Yellowmule displayed behind them.  

Story and photo by Tyler Wilson
CrowNews.Net

After an 18-month tour in Iraq with the U.S. Army and a short stay in Hawaii with his unit, Pfc. John Yellowmule will return to his family, horses and home in Wyola for a visit.

The family is expecting him this evening and his stay will last two weeks, said his sister Zita Yellowmule. When the visit ends, he might return to Iraq for another six-month tour, the last in his four-year military contract.

Lady Rams 0-2 in Pablo

For the Little Bighorn College women's team, Miranda Rowland and Adree Hugs were high-point players in Pablo, though the Rams lost both of the games they played in Salish Kootenai College's new athletic center.

On Monday night, SKC won 86-75. Before the half, SKC's Dani Augare scored 15 points and LBHC's Miranda Rowland led the team with 21 points. In the second half Dani Augare added another 10 points while LBHC's Adree Hugs scored 16.

The following night, SKC women won with 88 points to LBHC's 56. The leading scorer's for that game were SKC's Angie Redstar, who had 10 points, and LBHC's Hugs, who had 15.

Slain Missionary Served in Lodge Grass

Here is the Billings Gazette story about Philip Crouse, who was one of the people killed in Sunday's mass shooting in Arvada, Colo.  The piece, written by Luella Brien, tells his story through the memories of some of the people he befriended while building a house for Dana and Keith Bartlett in Lodge Grass.

Opinion: Fencing Along Road Ways Should Be Law

By Jay Harris
CrowNews.Net

Few things are more tragic than the unnecessary loss of life, especially when involving young people and most especially when involving accidents that otherwise could and should have been prevented. 

Parade Celebrates Native American Week

Parade participants ride through Crow Agency Friday, Sept. 21, the last day of Native American week for local schools. Photo by Tyler Wilson

By Brett Thomas-DeJongh
The Rural News Network

A parade finished off Native American week in Crow Agency last month, featuring very little children on very big horses, about a dozen floats, and plenty of candy to go around.