BILLINGS — People might notice white teepees lining the rims of the Four Dances Recreation Area this week.
That’s because the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council is working with the Crow Tribe to honor its history and its new programs.
See the teepees at Four Dances in the video below:
One of the figures the event is commemorating is Four Dances, a Crow Nation leader who fasted and received a vision on the land next to where the teepees stand.
The tribe member who initiated the event, Jim Real Bird, says he is fasting too, and for him, that means connecting with nature as well.
“I've been standing in the sun since this morning, pretty early. I'm not shading up yet. This is only half of a day now,” he said.
While the Crow Tribe is honoring its past, it is also ensuring its culture lives on in the future.
Crow Tribal Health Director LeeAnn Bruised Head says programs such as the Tribal Health Improvement Program and Youth Leadership Program are working to preserve the tribe’s healing practices.
“We're trying to decolonize some of the language and how we describe our services and making it a more positive approach to providing care,” she said.
These programs will address chronic disease, mental health and substance abuse for tribe members.
If you would like to view the teepees, they will light up at night through Friday.
Spectators can see them from the Four Dances trail or from Interstate 90.
