BILLINGS– Crow Fair goers this weekend have noticed a gradual shift of more RVs joining teepees on the fair campgrounds.
Crow Fair, known as the “Teepee Capital of the World”, brings thousands to Crow Agency every year. As people celebrate the fair’s 107th year, they are noticing how much the fair has changed.
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“I’ve noticed there’s a lot more campers this year,” said fair goer Ruby Zier.
Her family is planning to stay overnight in a teepee, but they are also bringing an RV to accommodate Zier’s 79-year-old mom, which they have done for the past five years.
Related: Crow Fair celebrates 106 years of culture, dance, and tradition
“Her back was hurting and… things have changed the older she got. So then that's when I found a camper,” said Zier. “A lot of people do bring campers here for the elders to camp because they were never able to before.”
MTN spoke with Crow Fair executive director Noel Two Leggins, who said he encourages following tradition, but understands the need for modern comfort.
“We have moved into the comforts of modern society. That's why you see the RVs,” said Two Leggins.
He told MTN he applied for Montana tourism grants from the state, which he said would go toward an RV campground.
“We were denied because we were told from the state of Montana that our board was not diverse enough,” said Two Leggins.
He said he hopes to add more space to the fair in the future.
“I encourage the teepee. I do see RVs. However, the space is limited,” he told MTN.
Two Leggins said he still worries that the teepee tradition could get lost.
“I'm starting to notice that there's a change. These youth… don't have an interest in the culture that we see today,” he said. “I'm just so happy to see that we still have a community that knows how to put up the teepee.”
