Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
American interests. In turn, Washington recognized him as an important American
leader. In 1921 he was invited to speak at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier, which was attended by other important international figures.
In 1928, four years before his death, Plenty Coups decided to dedicate a portion
of his land as a memorial to the Crow Nation, stating, “It is given as a token
of my friendship for all people, both red and white.” Today it is a 195-acre state
park located on the Crow Reservation called
Chief Plenty Coups State Park
(406/
252-1289, 8am-8pm daily May-Sept., day use $5/vehicle nonresidents) and houses a
museum of Crow culture (10am-5pm daily May-Sept.), a visitors center, and a gift
shop along with Chief Plenty Coups's log cabin home, general store, and grave.
The original three-room cabin, of which there is a replica today, served as the church,
the school, and the dormitory for both students and nuns. The school has always blended
Cheyenne culture with Roman Catholicism; in 1970 the Cheyenne language was added to
the elementary curriculum because many of the children had never learned it. The course
was so well received that a night course was added for adults. Today, the St. Labre Indi-
an School educates nearly 700 Northern Cheyenne and Crow students from kindergarten
through high school on three campuses.
A 1971 church on the site was constructed in tipi form, with a cross as the center pole.
The
Cheyenne Indian Museum
(8am-4:30pm Mon.-Fri., free) offers an opportunity to see
various Plains Indian artifacts as well as a short documentary film on the St. Labre School.
The museum is also open on Saturday on Memorial Day and Independence Day weekends
(9am-3pm), and all weekend over Labor Day (9am-3pm).
MM
Crow Fair
Crow Fair
(406/638-3808 or 406/638-3708,
www.crow-fair.com
)
is an annual powwow
held on the Crow Indian Reservation the third week in August to celebrate the past, present,
and future of the Crow people. The event is awash in vibrant color, sound, and taste and
is certainly one of the best times to visit the reservation; it's called the “tipi capital of the
world” for the more than 1,200 tipis that are erected at the site. Crow Fair is a major event
not only for Crow Indians but also for Native Americans across the United States, who
come to participate in the competitive dancing and drumming and what is considered to be
the largest all-Indian rodeo in the country. There are daily parades, evening grand entries,
