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Table of Contents
Crow Versions
Overview
Crow Versions comes from Robert Lowie's published work titled Crow Texts, which was reworked by W.S. Merwin for this Alcheringa entry. The original Crow Texts was a collection of poetry and other oral works gathered from the Crow tribe. Crow Versions tells the creation story of the world according to the Crow religion. It includes their deity of many names - one of those names being Old Man Coyote - whom this tale revolves around.
Context
The Crow people, also called the Apsáalooke or Absaroka, are a Native American tribe located in Montana. They are a plains tribe that speaks the crow language, though the number of those who speak the language present-day are dwindling.
The tribe historically lived along the Yellowstone River and within the valleys of some of its tributaries. Now they reside mainly in Southern Montana and have a reservation there to the South of Billings, Montana.
The majority of the Crow follow the indigenous Crow religion, which involves belief in the Crow deity, who has many names of various meanings. Some of these names include “Akbaatatdia,” which means “One Who Has Made Everything” or “Maker of all Things Above” and “Isáahkawuattee,” which means “Old Man Coyote,” among others. Theirs is a single God who knows and sees all and who is responsible for creating the universe.
Commentary
Bibliography
“Crow People.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_people#Culture.
“Crow Religion.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_religion.
“Crow.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 July 1998, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Crow-people.
“Lowie Robert H. A Crow Text. with … - Sciarium.com.” Scarium, https://sciarium.com/file/320008/.
“The Plains Indians Consisted of Many Indian Tribes.” Native-Net, https://native-net.org/tribes/plains-indians.html#:~:text=The%20Plains%20Indians%20included%20many%20tribes%20including%20the,in%20the%20Great%20Plains%20regions%20of%20North%20America.
