The Crow Indians

by Robert H Lowie

"[T]his is perhaps the most well-rounded contemporary . . . account of traditional American Indian life on the Great Plains. . . . It's a worthy addition to its publisher's list, which contains the most important collection of books on western and American Indian history."—Benjamin SchwarzThe Atlantic Monthly

“One of the truly classic ethnographies in American anthropology. It is based on the extensive fieldwork that Lowie did beginning in 1907 and continuing through 1931. The study is clear, well-written, and broadly informative. . . . [The Crow Indians] is also an excellent presentation of the theoretical presumptions, methods, and world views of mid-century American anthropology.”—Wyoming Library Roundup

First published in 1935, The Crow Indians offers a concise and accessible introduction to the nineteenth-century world of the Crow Indians. Drawing on interviews with Crow elders in the early twentieth century, Robert H. Lowie showcases many facets of Crow life, including ceremonies, religious beliefs, a rich storytelling tradition, everyday life, the ties of kinship and the practice of war, and the relations between men and women. Lowie also tells of memorable individuals, including Gray-bull, the great visionary Medicine-crow, and Yellow-brow, the gifted storyteller.

The Crow nation today is vital and active, creatively blending the old and the new. The way of life recounted in these pages provides insight into both the historical foundation and the enduring, vibrant heart of the Crow people in the twenty-first century.

Robert H. Lowie was one of the preeminent American anthropologists of the twentieth century. His books include Indians of the Plains. Phenocia Bauerle is a member of the Crow Nation and the editor of The Way of the Warrior: Stories of the Crow People

350 pp ~ illustrated — ©2004