Absarokee is fourteen miles south of Columbus. The town and the Absaroka Mountains bear an Indian name by which the Crows were originally known. The Crows are of Siouxan origin and were once part of the Hidatsa tribe around the Great Lakes. In the Hidatsa tongue, the Crows were called
Absaroka from the words
absa, meaning "large-beaked bird" and
rokee, meaning "children" or "offspring." In the sign language, they were represented by the flapping of the arms like wings, interpreted as the raven--or crows. Absarokee was originally on Indian Reservation land. (from Cheney's
Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)
Absarokee is a scenic, small community is a gateway to fishing, hiking, camping, and outdoor exploration along the Stillwater and Yellowstone rivers and the nearby Absarokee-Beartooth Wilderness.
