Gas Station Indian Monument
Crow Agency, Montana
Crow Agency is an oasis of Native American pride. Just off the interstate exit, on the short drive up to the site of Custer's Last Stand, you'll spot an unexpected monument. It's a wooden carved statue of Chief Plenty Coups, and it stands next to a teepee at Crow Agency's Exxon gas station. BChief Plenty Coups (1848-1932) was the "Last Chief of the Crows."
Between refueling and relieving, read the plaque, which says in part: "Plagued with the loss of the great buffalo herds, the confinement to reservations, disease, famine, and poverty, Chief Plenty Coups let the Crow people through a painful transition." He "developed into a nationally respected statesman and patriot." Chief Plenty Coups' painted likeness is tall and narrow. He holds a feather -- there's not a tomahawk or scalp in sight.
After paying your respects, you can either head to the Little Bighorn battle site or the Little Bighorn Casino -- another Indian victory.
Gas Station Indian Monument
- Address:
- Crow Agency, MT [Show Map]
- Directions:
- I-90 exit 510 (Hwy. 212).
Nearby Offbeat Places
- Custer's Last Stand: Little Big Horn, Crow Agency, MT - 1 mi.
- Custer Battlefield Museum, Garryowen, MT - 4 mi.
