Custer's last stand, Hardin, Montana and the Crow Fair

August 13-15, 2019:

Hardin, Montana

I continue on route 90 from Billings, Montana to Hardin, Montana through beautiful country, especially the first 50 miles.  It was nothing but vast, far as the eye could see, hilly grass land.  There were ranches and some hay farms but they were mostly out of sight and non evasive.  Gradually the farms became more noticeable with more cultivated crops and irrigation.  

I took the first exit for Hardin thinking I would preview the downtown area before heading to the Little Big Horn Battlefield, but all I saw was a dumpy looking T/A Truck Stop/Casino, a McDonalds, gas stations and more casinos.  I though; This is all there is ?  Of course there were no signs to direct you to the historic downtown.  So I went back on route 90 to the next exit which had a sign for visitors center, found the museum /visitors center and then continuing found the downtown area.  I came upon the old train depot with a historic car on display and a beautiful old Hotel.  I saw plenty to explore for a latter time, but first priority was the Little Bighorn Battlefield which is another 30 miles away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardin,_Montana

One of the original Montana centennial train coaches repainted as it was for the US Centennial at the NY Worlds Fair.  This was part of a 30 car train that ran from Montana
to New York.  All cars were painted with different scenic panels

The Hotel Becker built in 1917

I get to the battlefield just in time for the 1 PM guided tour.  It is a 10 mile roundtrip bus tour through the monument with a Crow Indian tribal member explaining all aspects of the battle.  He talked non stop with lots of detailed information, almost too much to absorb.  I had not read much on this battle and was surprised at the size and difficult terrain of the battlefield.  After that I drove it myself which enables you to stop at all the viewpoints and read the interpretive signs.  Next was looking at the exhibits and the movie in the visitors center.  I then walked the short trail to the “Last Stand” area and monument and then across the road to the recently added Indian Monument.  The Crow tribe were actually on the side of the U.S. acting as scouts during this battle as they were enemies of the waring tribes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn

Fallen US troop markers are identified all over the battlefield

Indian markers are in relish color and only a few are known

This is a portion of the battlefield

There are many interpretive  panels along the tour road to identify battle activity 

This is the last panel on  last stand hill

Looking uphill on last stand hill

The recently installed memorial to the Indian soldiers and scouts

Indian memorial comments about the battle 

The famous Anheuser Busch Painting depicting the battle on last stand hill

I also sat in on a ranger talk describing the events that occurred leading up to this battle and the battle itself.  It was an excellent presentation, presented in a folksy animated manner that held your attention and gave a perspective from both sides.  The end of his talk left listeners with something to think about, How did something as awful as this whole Indian experience occur in a country founded on such lofty democratic ideals and why do we so dislike people different from us to this day?

On the intersection with route 90 near the battlefield is a Trading Post and Cafe.  I stopped to look around in the trading post which was loaded with great stuff, bought a book and then checked the cafe menu.  I saw the Crow Fry Bread reputed to be the best in the west, how could I pass up on that.  The cafe was very nicely outfitted and there were actual Crow tribal people eating there.  The Fry Bread was good but probably not the best in the west, I’ve had better.

Trading Post sign

The Trading Post and cafe

The Crow Indian Tribe holds their annual Crow Fair and rodeo later this week at their village known as the agency which I'm just going to have to stay for.  This is one of the largest Indian encampments in the country, not to be missed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_Fair

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_Nation


Downtown Hardin is small but is nice with a few restaurants and shops, the beautiful old Hotel Becker and on a side street the 4 Aces Lounge.  The sign is great, but inside it's disappointing.  It's has tacky 1970’s paneling on the walls, nothing to get excited about and it reeked of grease.  I set up for the night right on the street adjacent to a parking lot about a block away with no issues.

The 4 aces was a loser for me

Nice clean downtown Hardin

The Central Cinema is not so exciting

The Best of the West grain elevator does excite me

This adjacent one is also huge, lots of wheat is grown in this area

Historic downtown Hardin in early 1900's

My new thing is to arise early by 6 AM and move to something like a fast food or grocery store parking lot where I can then make my breakfast, finish dressing, check the ice situation, get ice if needed, download photos from camera to computer, get rid of garbage and get anything in need of charging plugged in.  On this day I do it at McDonalds, get coffee there as well and use their WiFi to work on blog.  

I then go to the Big Horn County Historical Museum just after it opens at 10 AM and get eyestrain going through twenty some buildings of stuff along with lots of farm equipment, trucks and tractors outside.  It like a recreated village with church, school, gas station, tourist cabins, Will James studio, blacksmith shop, general store, etc.

Famed western author and artist Will James spent time in this area

The old Lodge Grass train Depot was moved here

Old wooden coach with wooden truck frame

Love the nose on these old REO trucks

And these GMC 's

They had a couple of barns full of old tractors

This truck was in nice condition

These heave duty wagons were hooked together like a train

I somehow had missed it coming off interstate 90, but there is a Pilot Truck Stop on the opposite corner that is way better than the T/A and I end up overnighting there for the next two nights.  

It is now Thursday morning, the opening day of the Crow Fair.  I drive to the Crow Agency in the morning arriving at about 9 AM and quickly become totally bewildered.  There are no welcome signs, no signs of a fair and not many people in sight.  I just turn down a side street and soon come to the camping area where hundreds of Tepee’s are set up.  The way I understand it is that reservation members have sites which are handed down from generation to generation and every year tribal members return to set up a Tipi or a tent for the fair. 

This is the opening day and I don’t expect that all will be set up until the weekend, but it is already quite special.  I still don't know where the actual Pow Wow grounds are.  I decide to walk up a hill for a better view of the campground when a car approaches and asks if I would like a ride up.  It is an Indian woman from the Pacific Northwest with her daughter who are attending the Pow Wow.  They tell me that the Pow Wow grounds are in the center of the campground.

As I am walking to the Pow Wow grounds a Anglo woman stops to ask me how to get to the Pow Wow grounds, she can't find it.  I run into her many times during the rest of day and learn she is an artist from Maryland who is taking photos which she will turn into art work.  The circular Pow Wow arena is pretty rough looking surrounded by rather junky food vendors selling not so healthy choices, but who cares at an Indian Pow Wow.  I find that nothing is happening at the Pow Wow grounds until the evening, but there will be a 1 PM rodeo.  The tribal members seem to enjoy referring to start times as "at Indian Time" meaning "whenever" and it rings true as the rodeo doesn't start until about 2:30.

I thought it odd to put the casino sign so close to the old church ?

Entrance to the Crow Fair

View from the hill side

Getting closer

In the campground

   

At the rodeo grounds I meet another man from Michigan who is taking photos and is very excited to be here. He is very worried about where he is allowed to take photos, doesn't want to get in trouble, and asking questions and someone calls over the tribal man, Corry Old Horn, who is in charge of the rodeo.  He was extremely easy going, friendly and helpful.  He explained all the events that would be taking place and that we could pretty much go anywhere to take photos, just not inside the arena when events are going on and don't get hurt.  Shortly another young man form Brooklyn, NY shows up with camera equipment and joins us, then the woman I had met earlier in the day and then another woman shows who travels and works these Indian rodeos all the time.

He started to call me "Arizona"

This rodeo is not like any professionally sanctioned US rodeo, people and children are riding horse all over the place, we can stand right on the fence, go into the rodeo staging areas, no safety concerns, of course it's all at our our own risk.  I like this, it’s great.  About half way through the rodeo as I walk in the stands, I am called over by the woman working the rodeo who is having a health issue, the paramedics are checking her out.  She requests that I photograph the finish line at the next race and do the winners photo.  Latter there is another race where they grab me again to take the winning photo.  I learn that the woman was taken to the tribal hospital, but I have no messages or information on what to do with these photos.  This rodeo culminate in a crazy Indian relay race that is something that is only done at Indian rodeos as it is a very dangerous race. I decide that I will skip the evening pow wow and stay another day to see the morning Indian parade and Pow Wow on Friday.

These kids can ride

Beautiful horses

Good form

Headed to the starting gate

There off

Cows need some prodding to move into gate

The race winner and team

They start young

Barrel racer

Relay race action, he is the horse holder, the rider was just jumped off and has leaped onto another fresh horse for another lao around the track

The next morning, Friday,  I leave early as the parade is scheduled for 10 AM through the camping area.  As a result, it may be much more congested getting into the Pow Wow area.  I walk around taking more Tipi photos and am now seeing many Indians in full ceremonial dress getting ready for the parade. A sizable crowd has developed and people are setting up chairs along the parade route.  I stake out a location where I might have the best angle.  The parade is actually looking to be larger than I expected and all the riders and many horses are decorated to the hilt.  The parade started close to the scheduled time and was truly as great as all the hype.

Afterwards, I learned that there would be no Pow Wow action until 7 PM.  I wasn’t planning to do the rodeo again, but had lots of time yo kill so I attempted to take a nap, but it was getting hot in the van and every time I left the door open, the wind would threaten to rip it off.  By 2:30 I was bored and went back to the rodeo. Once there I recovered and took another hundred photos.

Now back to the Pow Wow at 6:30 finding it super crowded with a huge crowd of participants and spectators.  I watched the opening ceremonies and dancing until dark, that was enough for me, but I imagine it went on most of the night.  It was amazing to see and hear with hundreds of tribal members in their finnest ceremonial attire crowding into the arena and dancing to loud drum beats and vocal chants.

I leave the Pow Wow just before darkness and head out out on interstate 90 east for Sheridan, Wyoming about 70 miles away.  It’s only an hour drive if I drive about 75 MPH, under the 80 MPH speed limit.  The road is super dark, need the high beams to see well, with my aged, overloaded eyes.  

I really wanted to do this ride in the daylight, but don’t think I’m missing much of interest.  I arrive in Sheridan about 9:45 PM and park just off Main Street in downtown and quickly collapse into bed, it was a long busy day. 

Next stop is Sheridan, Wyoming