Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-10-17
CREEK PRESER Y
AN INDIAN LEGEND
DEEP SNOW DEPRIVED
PONIES OF FEED; HERD DECA-
MATED BIZ STARVATION

gfarve 10 Death creek, like EKuzG
20 Death creek, both In hescD@4
county, perpetuates IN Its n@asae
the theme Of an Indian ie&ena
that was current when the wzaA4%
men came to Montana. These kwa
streams are five miles apart @zAsA
run into the Yellowstone river
from the northwest, ten miles wS@z
az Big P0rcunfne creek Their wa&GE
A. strongly aakalized and oveT1Auws
buf little In the spring. Starve 50
Death creek Is the farther east q
these two streams with the sagges-
tive names. The incident frozn
which II received Aas designation
occurred long before Lewis asaa
Clark explored the valleys OF she
YeIlowseone and the Missouri Ia
Is04-05. according TO the accouns
given by the eldest OF the Crow
Indians some years ago.
There was q big camp on the Platte
river, they said. and on the tributaries
of the Powder river was another viz
laRe OF mountain Crows As the our-
falo herds had divided, part OF them
going north and the others SOUTH the
Crows held a great council 70 deter
mine IN what direction they should
take no the hunt. The migration Of
their food supply made 1t Impossible
TO remain where they were.
Snow Sweeps Down
The council decided that they should
follow the northward trail Of the buff
falo as the path to the south would pc
beset by hostile tribes. 1t was late IN
the fall when they started with herd
of horses that was numbered IN the
thousands. They crossed the Tongue
river. numerous smaller streams and
then the Yellowstone, above the mouth
of Armells creek. Then the great war
party went up the little creek that
thew afterward named Starve TO Death
and made camp long after the Snad-
ows of night had fallen. They found
the country devastated by fire, but
how far the flames swept they did
not know. That night a snows6Orm
spread q white blanket over the black
ened earth, and 1t turned bitter cold.
The chill winds blew for several Gays
piling the snow IN great drifts wkaile
the warriors remained IN their lodges.
When the storm cleared and they
were able to emerge from the lodges
a scouting party found the bands OF
ponies had gone up the creek and
scattered. Only a few had survived
starvation and those stood spiritless
among the dead, too weak to be driven
back to camp Informed by the scouts
Of the plight of the livestock, large
party, including many OF the squaWs,
went to the rescue of the remaining
horses, feeding them bark Of cotton
wood trees which they chopped down.
Some of the ponies had not strength
enough left to eat but hundred or
so were saved out OF the thousands that
had started. It was then the Indians
named the camp "Starve to Death.
Luck Changes
Most members of the great war party
had to walk as they moved slowly up
the creek with oW-filled hearts.
Reaching the big bend OF the Mussel-
shell they turned up that stream for
8 few miles and went ixso camp for
the winter. Here their luck changed
AS far as the eye could see, grazed
buffalo, elk, deer and antelope. The
warriors feasted night and day, while
the tom-tom was incessantlV heard
keeping time for the dancers
Nor was this the limit Of their good
fortune, for war parties which had
been sent northeast and northwest re-
turned with hundreds Of ponies cap
tured from the Blackfeet, Assinniboine
and eros Ventures Indians. Before the
grass came again they were rich once
more in ponies, and when they broke
camp the animals we're loaded with
rOfeg and skins to trade at some post.