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POTD: What’s Left

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What’s Left
Pryor, Montana
2022

There is really not much in the way of home furnishings left in Chief Plenty Coup’s family home. You have to kind of wonder why the park officials chose to place or leave the few items of furniture that remain. The nearly empty shell of the home is certainly a visual portrayal of the disappearance of a life and lifestyle that has long past.

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POTD: Chief Plenty Coups

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Chief Plenty Coups
Pryor, Montana
2022

Chief Plenty Coups (Alek-Chea-Ahoosh in his own language) was the last chief of the Crow Indians. While chief, he visited Washington D.C. and while there visited Mt. Vernon, the hope of George Washington which had been made into a park by then. He was so impressed with the idea of having the great leader’s home open to the public, that in his will, Chief Plenty Coup left his home and land to the state of Montana in order that it could be visited and enjoyed by all. Subsequently the house and property was made into a state park, which is an out-of-the-way but interesting place to visit.

Chief Plenty Coups’ story reminded me of that of Quannah Parker, the last chief of the Comanche. Both men made a huge lifestyle change from that of the traditional native life in the 19th century American west to that of a successful businessman and community leader in the white mans’ world.

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