W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M
59
HOSPITALITY AND CULTURE
by STEPHANIE BROOKES
photography by DAVID METCALF
L
OOKING DOWN FROM A RISE ON THE OUT-
SKIRTS OF THE CROW AGENCY, I stood in awe
of the 1,500 teepees stretched out below a wide blue
Montana sky. Troupes of dancers gathered in tight
circles making last minute adjustments to their ornate
feathers, colorful tassels, and war bonnets. A line of
white rodeo hats snaked its way through the crowd
heading for the cowboy arena. e annual powwow was
about to kick off. As saddles were strapped down and
bridles adjusted, the wind blowing in from Little Big
Horn, only two miles away, seemed to carry a sense of
history and nostalgia with it. Every August the Crow
Fair bursts into life, with over 50,000 participants and
spectators descending on the Crow Agency, the tribal
headquarters of the Crow in southern Montana. Native
American tribes of the Great Plains and beyond gather
to celebrate their culture through traditional dance,
sport, horse racing, art and a rodeo at this spectacular
annual event, which is one of the biggest powwows in
the United States and dates back to 1904.
