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Montana,
especially Custer Country in the southeastern section of the
state, offers a variety of vacation, historical and archeological
opportunities that fit the modern agenda. Over 20 years ago,
the author had the opportunity to visit the Little Bighorn
Battlefield. The white marble markers and the granite Obelisk
on Last Stand Hill were impressive. However, additional research
was necessary to understand what happened on that hot June
day in 1876 when General Custer and 262 seventh Cavalry soldiers,
scouts, and civilians lost their lives at the hands of the
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors camped at Greasy Grass
on the banks of the Little Big Horn River. Today, with an
interactive museum and well-stocked bookstore on the site,
as well as auditory markers and maps, the events and fateful
decisions of Custer and Reno are much easier to follow and
understand. Park Rangers give talks on the pavilion overlooking
Last Stand Hill every half hour and battlefield tours are
also available.
A Crow Indian guide can join the traveler in his vehicle for
a spectacular battlefield analysis. The guide will give an Indian
perspective of the battle and fill in the blanks with tribal
history and lore. There is a charge of about $30 per hour –
money well spent for the avocational historian. Be sure to plan
and make a reservation if visiting in the evening since the
Crow guides often leave early. In addition, the Garry Owen,
located just down the hill at the Greasy Grass campsite offers
a tremendous collection of Battlefield and Plains Indian artifacts
including a pre-Lewis and Clark canoe. The visitor will come
away with an awareness of how the Little Bighorn Battle fit
into the scope of the Black Hills gold rush and the army’s
inability to control the influx of miners into Indian land.
At least one curator is on duty to answer questions about the
museum and battle site. Photographers should try for early morning
or evening trips during the summer since the sun can create
strong shadows during the heat of the day. The site is an evocative
place, be prepared to absorb a tremendous amount of information
and walk away with a new perspective of the American West.
In 1988, Russell Means, founder of the American Indian Movement
(AIM), led a protest over the lack of an Indian memorial at
the site. The result is a newly opened 2.3 million dollar monument
honoring the Indian warriors and scouts at the battle. Located
just below the 7th Cavalry monument, the Native American monument
is open to the four corners of the earth with the northern view
featuring three horses and riders silhouetted against the sky
as well as an Indian maiden handing a shield to one of the warriors.
A weeping wall and pool opens on a “spirit gate” that
symbolizes the tears shed to maintain their nomadic way of life.
The interior walls commemorate the five tribes present at the
battle: Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, and Arikara. Enos Poor
Bear Senior, an Ogalala Elder believes that the memorial, “must
not only be a tribute to the dead, but must contain a message
to the living.” Observing the gently rolling prairies from
the memorial will certainly leave the guest with a sense of
unity and an individual message of peace and harmony.
Happy Traveling.
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directions and a map @ 
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