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Where
the Battle of the Little Big Horn began . . .
Garryowen, Montana
"Peace Through Unity" Memorial
Dedicated The
unveiling of the "Peace Through Unity" Indian Memorial at the Little
Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Crow Agency was held June 25,
2003, on the Battle's 127th Anniversary.
The "Peace Through Unity" Indian Memorial honors the
Native Americans who died on this sacred ground on June 25 and June 26,
1876. The Indians who fought in this battle, while fighting to
preserve their land and culture, are remembered and recognized.
Photo Credit Little Big Horn National Monument
On December 10, 1991, the Indian Monument was authorized
by Congress and signed into law by former President George Herbert
Walker Bush. Once known as Custer
Battlefield National Monument, the law renamed the site Little Bighorn
Battlefield National Monument and also called for the design,
construction and maintenance of a memorial to recognize the Indians who
fought to preserve their land and culture in the Battle of the Little
Bighorn. The Little Bighorn
Battlefield National Monument commemorates one of America's most
significant and famous battles, where two divergent cultures clashed in
a life or death struggle. Four hundred years of conflict between
Euro-Americans and Native Americans culminated on this ground and
resulted in the defeat of 12 companies of Seventh Cavalry by Lakota
(Sioux) Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.
In 1881, a memorial was erected on Last Stand Hill, over
the mass grave of the Seventh Cavalry soldiers, U.S. Indian Scouts and
other personnel killed in battle. Today, many visit the Little
Bighorn Battlefield that honors the U.S. Army's roll. The fallen
Lakota and Cheyenne warriors were removed by their families and buried
in the Native American tradition in teepees or three-scaffolds in the
nearby Little Bighorn Valley. Until this event, no memorial has
paid tribute to the Native Americans who struggled to preserve and
defend their homeland and traditional way of life. Their heroic
sacrifices were never formally recognized until now.
One hundred and twenty-seven years after the Battle of
the Little Bighorn, this new Indian Memorial brings all Americans full
circle, through the theme "Peace Through Unity." The design is a
living memorial to the Plains Indian women and warriors who took part in
the fateful battle and whose spirit and culture survive, continuing the
Plains Indian Legacy. For more
information about the "Peace Through Unity" Indian Memorial dedication,
please contact the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument at (406)
638-3213. For events in Custer
Country, persons may contact Jim Schaefer, Executive Director of Custer
Country at (406) 778-3336, or contact Christopher Kortlander, Director
of the Custer Battlefield Museum at (406) 638-1876.
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