Historic Sign Honors Chief Washakie Coming To Crowheart Butte

A new interpretive sign honoring Eastern Shoshone history and the legacy of Chief Washakie will be unveiled later this month at Crowheart Butte in Wyoming’s Wind River country.

A public ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at noon at the site, which sits just north of U.S. Highway 26. Crowheart Butte is located about 34 miles southeast of Dubois and roughly four miles southeast of the community of Crowheart.

The landmark takes its name from a mid-1800s conflict between the Eastern Shoshone and the Crow Tribe over hunting rights in the region. According to Eastern Shoshone oral tradition, the fighting ended when Chief Washakie and Crow Chief Big Robber agreed to settle the dispute through a duel. The outcome brought the conflict to a close and helped establish peace between the tribes.

The new interpretive sign shares that story and highlights Chief Washakie’s leadership during a time of major change for the Eastern Shoshone people. Washakie is remembered for his courage, diplomacy and determination to secure a permanent homeland for his people. The land he helped protect remains central to the Eastern Shoshone community today.

The project is part of Wyoming’s Monuments and Markers Program, a cooperative effort involving the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Wyoming Tribes, local governments and private partners. The program is responsible for installing new historical markers and maintaining existing monuments and interpretive signage across the state.

The Feb. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony is open to the public.

More information about the Monuments and Markers Program is available at wyoparks.wyo.gov.