When artist Judy Larson came across the Blackfeet Indian legend of The Crow Tipi, she was enthralled with the various elements of the story and how they might come together in a painting. In the legend, there was a brave warrior who stole horses and guns for his tribe.The head chief of the tribe became jealous of the warrior’s success and glory and used witchcraft to bring bad luck to the man. Three times the brave man rode out to battle, and three times he returned on foot, because his horses had run away.

As the warrior lay sleeping after returning home from a raid, he dreamt that a man came to him and said,“You should not have had to walk home alone these nights. I see you have given a share of the meat from a buffalo you killed to my children, the crows. For your kindness I will give you two things: the power to become a chief of your tribe and my own specially painted tipi, The Crow Tipi. Go a little way from here, and you will find horses. ”The warrior became chief of the Buffalo Dung band and the Crow Tipi remains in his tribe to this day.

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