Oct 4, 2018 - Crow Tribe Fighting to Protect Hunting Rights and Way of Life

On September 14th 2018, the Crow Tribe submitted its friend of the court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Herrera v. Wyoming, which involves a Crow Tribal member’s appeal of his conviction for hunting in the Wyoming portion of the Bighorn National Forest, which we believe he has every right to do under Article IV of the Crow Tribe’s 1868 Treaty with the United States.

Hunting is a way of life for the Crow, and the Big Horn Mountains are sacred to our people. So, we believe it’s time that the ongoing wrongs and injustices by the State of Wyoming against Crow Tribal members be addressed, and corrected.

Crow District Princess in Elk Tooth Dress, Crow Fair 2018

Today, many families on the Crow Reservation still rely on wild game for subsistence, and so the Herrera v. Wyoming case and the Fort Laramie Treaties really are about our very survival. They are about our ability to share our unique way of life with our children, and to continue to practice our values as a people.

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 was negotiated between the Apsaalooke and the United States government just over 150 years ago. It is still important to our people today, and we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule in Mr. Herrera’s favor, and uphold that sacred promise between our nations.

Our ancestors gave up a lot to ensure the survival of our people, and they reserved for us the right to hunt on the lands we ceded, as long as they were not occupied by settlers. We want to see these promises and the sacrifices of our ancestors honored.

Chairman A.J. Not Afraid,
Crow Tribe/Apsaalooke Nation