National

Native Sun News: Big crowds expected for Big Horn anniversary

Friday, June 17, 2016

The Custer fight / C.M. Russell 1903. Image from Library of Congress

June 25 marks 140th Anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass
Expected to draw record attendance to commemoration
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent
www.nsweekly.com

CROW AGENCY, Mont –– June 25, 2016 marks the 140th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, near present day Crow Agency, Montana. On June 25, 2016, that battlefield will once again be filled with the war cries of Lakota and Cheyenne young men as they mount a wild charge on “Last Stand Hill”, where Custer perished. Many will be painted in traditional fashion, riding painted horses and wearing classic warrior regalia.

These bold riders will ride to honor their ancestors who fought there, especially those who fell, the names remembered, incised upon the Indian Memorial and held in high esteem to this day. Following the charge, many more riders including elders, women and children will parade through the actual battlefield, viewed by an appreciative audience of tribal members and tourists. The anniversary date is the only time that the National Park Service (NPS) allows horses on the battlefield grounds.

Ken Woody, NPS spokesperson for the Battlefield said that last year the Battlefield drew 318,000 visitors, a top tourist attraction in Montana. Because this is the 140th anniversary of the Battle and also the NPS 100th anniversary, the crowds are expected to be larger than usual, especially tribal visitors.

The precise agenda for the anniversary event will not be finalized until the week of the event, but Woody said it will generally follow the schedule of previous years. On Friday, June 24th, Arikara tribal representatives will make their presentation; the Lakota will be featured on Saturday morning, June 25, and the Northern Cheyenne on that same afternoon.