IN LAND OF THE SPARROW HAWK PEOPLE

A group of free trappers with pack horses is leaving the land of the Blackfoot Indians, fording a river and crossing into the region of the Crow tribe. They are traveling at night to avoid detection by the Blackfoot who were the scourge of the white man. The Crow, on the other hand, were friendly and could be counted on for trading and scouting.

The Indian name for Crow was Absaroka which in their language means "sparrow hawk people." In the early 1800s, the trappers ranged over the West in search of beaver which were traded to wagon trains that came from St. Louis to trade goods, whiskey, cloth, guns, powder and other necessities. The beaver pelts were taken East and made into hats that were the fashion of the day.

Trappers were vital in other ways in that they helped the wagon trains in their westward move by opening up trails and mountain passes and serving guides.