Blackfeet Indian Tipi Legend - How An Unseccessful Horse Raider Dreamed of The Crow Tipi
Crow Tipi of Isabel and Henry Bear Medicine
There was once a brave man who repeatedly stole horses when he went on war parties. He also took guns from enemies of his tribe. Everyone came to look upon him as an important man, so that the head chief became jealous and used witchcraft on him to bring bad luck on his war expeditions. The next time he went to war, he came home afoot because his horses stampeded.
Three times he went on raids, and returned on foot. He tried his luck a fourth time and was on his way home afoot and hungry when he saw some buffalo. He killed a buffalo, butchered it in the brush, made a fire and cooked his meat over it. Then he cut some of the meat into strips and hung it up near the fire to dry.
He usually traveled by night for he was afraid some enemy might see him. When he finished preparing his meat, he laid down and fell asleep. He slept nearly all day, and dreamed that a man came to him and said, "My son, I feel sorry for you walking home all alone all this time. I see you have given me and my children, the crows, some of the meat you killed. So I am going to give you power to become leader of your tribe. This is my tipi, called the Crow Tipi. I will give you this painted tipi, but be sure you never let the fire go out in it, and always make a sweetgrass smudge in it every morning and evening."
He continued, "Go back a little way from here and you will find horses waiting for you. Get them so you won't need to walk home."
When the man woke from his sleep, he heard noises like people shouting and singing. He then recognized that it was a crow cawing. Again he fell asleep and dreamed of the Crow Tipi. He observed how it was painted. The crow man told him, "I shall teach you all the ways and songs of this tipi. " When the man finished showing him everything, he awoke and went after the horses that had been promised him. He didn't go far before he saw horses. He caught and mounted one, and drove the rest home.
He became the chief of the Buffalo Dung band. After his death the Crow Tipi was transferred within that band. It is owned in that band to this day.