The committee included nine representatives from the tribal groups that had participated on both sides of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt approved both the memorial’s design and its site near “Last Stand Hill” in 1997, based on the recommendation of an 11-member Advisory Committee established by this legislation. Cavalry Monument.” It did not, however, provide public funding. government had “viewed the Indians largely as faceless people without historical investment in the struggle that had occurred there, even though the short-term aftermath had proved cataclysmic to their traditional existence.” Thus, a major reassessment of the historical treatment of Native Americans at the battlefield was long overdue.Ĭongress mandated the memorial in the 1991 legislation that changed the name of Custer Battlefield National Monument, emphasizing that there was no commemoration of those Native Americans “who gave their lives defending their families and traditional lifestyle.” Public Law 102-201 also required that it be located “in the vicinity of the 7th U.S. Since the battlefield’s inception as a national cemetery in 1879, retired NPS historian Jerome A. The long-delayed effort to provide a balanced interpretation of this historic clash represents a notable departure from the previous focus of the National Park Service (NPS) on Lt. The Indian Memorial at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana was created to honor and recognize those American Indians who died to preserve their traditional way of life at the 1876 battle, as well as to provide a better understanding of the causes and consequences of what is popularly known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” The Little Bighorn Battlefield Indian Memorial was dedicated on June 25, 2003, and rededicated on June 25, 2014, with the addition of interpretive panels representing all Native tribal combatants and scouts that participated in the June 25-26, 1876 battle. It’s only a two-hour and 30 minute drive, well worth the time.A Vision Realized on the 145th Anniversary of the Battle
To reach Cody from Little Bighorn Battlefield, take I-90 West and take exit 434 to US 212 South. The date of 1876 was memorable with the Battle of Little Bighorn where the Northern plains Native Americans fought the cavalry to protect their rights and prevent going to live on reservations. You’ll find fascinating displays within the visitor center, showing events leading up to the battle, Native American life in the area and weapons used. The National Cemetery is also worth a visit. There are two separate battlefields at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, the Custer Battlefield and the Reno-Benteen Battlefield. From November through March it closes at 4:30 pm. It closes at 6 pm from August 1 to October and April through May. Hours are 8 am to 9 pm from Memorial Day to July 31. Little Bighorn Battlefield is open all year, although closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. In southeastern Montana, the Little Bighorn Battlefield is a national memorial placed at the site where the Sioux and Cheyenne Tribes fought to preserve their way of life.