| Pryor Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Pryor Mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | East Pryor Mountain |
| Elevation | 8,776 ft (2,675 m) |
| Coordinates | 45°10′06″N 108°20′07″W / 45.16833°N 108.33528°W |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Baahpuuo Isawaxaawuua (Crow) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
The Pryor Mountains [1] are a mountain range in Carbon and Big Horn counties of Montana, and Big Horn County, Wyoming. They are located on the Crow Indian Reservation and the Custer National Forest, and portions of them are on private land.[2] They lie south of Billings, Montana, and north of Lovell, Wyoming.[2]
The mountains are named for Sergeant Nathaniel Hale Pryor, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who vainly pursued horses stolen from the expedition in the area.[3] The Crow Nation, a Native American tribe which lived nearby, called the mountains Baahpuuo Isawaxaawuua ("Hitting Rock Mountains") because of the abundance of flint there (which was chipped into arrowheads).[4]
According to Crow Nation folklore, Little People (a race of 18 in [46 cm]-high dwarf-like people with spiritual powers) lived in these mountains.[5]
- ^ "Pryor Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b "Discovering Lewis and Clark-The Pryors". Washburn, North Dakota: The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
- ^ Clawson and Shandera, p. 40-41.
- ^ Massingham, p. 134.
- ^ Saindon, p. 478-481; Frey, p. 68; Montgomery, p. 32.