Each encampment was governed by a council of chiefs, shamans, and tribal elders. Chiefs were individuals who attained this title by performing four specific deeds: leading successful war parties, counting coup by touching enemy and escaping, taking a enemies weapon from him, cutting loose a enemies horse from their camp. One member of the tribal council, usually a chief, was elected head of each encampment. At all levels, chiefs lost their power if they stopped living up to Crow ideals.

The Crow men were divided into men?s military societies such as Foxes, Lumpwood, Crazy Dogs, Big Dogs, and Ravens. Membership in the societies was open to any proven warrior. The societies, each having its own rules and c

Non-Indians brought European disease that decimated the Crow population. According to several sources, smallpox was the main factor that dropped the Crow population from sixteen thousand to under three thousand.

ustoms, competed to recruit the most promising young men. Every spring, one military society was appointed as the tribal police force to keep order in Crow encampments, enforce discipline during important tribal activities such as the buffalo hunt, and keep war parties from setting out at inappropriate times.

The tools and weapons of the Crow were of fine construction. Their bows were fabricated from hickory and/or ash and horn, when possible. Crow bow and arrow makers were very skilled, and all Crow artifacts, including buffalo horn cups and wooden bowls, were well made. Crow handicrafts such as clothing, arrow quivers, and various adornments were of very fine quality and were sought after. These adornments enhanced the appearance of a people who were usually relatively tall (men were near 6 feet). Crow men rarely cut their hair, letting

Some topics in this essay:
Shoshone Sioux, Crows American, Minisepere Erarapio, Ravens Membership, Awatixa Hidatsas, Crow Kite, Crow Indians, Shoshone Crow, Powder River, GOVERNMENT Crow, war parties, missouri river, crow population, river crows, sixteen thousand,