Montana Students Did Something Remarkable to Preserve Crow

Hardin Students Created a First-of-Its-Kind Montana Animated Film

Some high school students in Montana just made something pretty amazing, and as far as anyone can tell, it's the first time anything like this has ever been done in the state.

Students at Hardin High School created a 33-minute animated movie entirely in the Crow language.

Students Worked With Crow Elders To Bring The Movie To Life

According to the Montana Free Press, the project was brought to life by students, teachers, Crow elders, language speakers, and even a California production company to create "The Sacred Culture of the Apsáalooke Nation."

While the movie is premiering in Hardin, the biggest feature is the fact that it was made entirely in Crow.

When the project started, a lot of the students realized they weren't fluent in the language, so they worked with elders and other Crow speakers to translate and adapt the script.

That wasn't always the easiest thing to do, either. Some Crow words don't have a direct English translation, and certain words can even change depending on whether a man or woman is speaking.

Thankfully, the students didn't give up.

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A High School Movie Is Helping Connect Young People To Crow Culture

The project has become about more than just making an animated movie, too. Crow is considered a "definitely endangered" language, and the people behind the film see it as a way to help preserve the language and connect younger generations with their culture.

Think about that for a second.

These are high school students who could have spent their time just scrolling social media, and instead, they helped create an animated film in a language that's fighting to survive.

It's stories like these that fill you with pride for our state and make you feel pretty good about what young people here are capable of.

Get the full story now from the Montana Free Press by clicking here.