In June 1876, a fierce battle was fought along the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. This was one of the last battles between the United States Army and nomadic western tribes.

In order to remember the U.S. soldiers and Native Americans who died there, a national monument has been established.  

 

• This national monument is located in southeastern Montana east of Billings and inside the Crow Reservation land.
• The Battle of Little Bighorn was fought between tribes of the Plains Indians; including the Lakota Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho, and the U.S. soldiers from the Seventh Cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer.  
• The battle is also known as Custer’s Last Stand and was referred to by the Native Americans as the Battle of the Greasy Grass because of the way the grass looked in the area.
• The site includes the Custer National Cemetery and the sites where Marcus Reno and Fredrick Benteen’s armies fought are also part of the monument.  
• Captain George K. Sanderson and the 11th infantry created the first memorial in 1879 when they made sure all the soldiers’ bodies were buried and formed a mound at the top of the hill with wood.  
• In July of 1881 a 14 ft. granite obelisk monument was erected on Last Stand Hill.  The remains of the fallen soldiers had also been removed to that site, and their names are engraven on the monument.
• The monument has been controversial. General Custer has been praised as an American hero, but his actions are also considered oppressive and cruel to the natives.
• The national monument was originally called Custer Battlefield National Monument and was changed in 1991 to its current name to honor all who died in the battle.
• Memorials now stand for the fallen of the Native American tribes and the land is now considered sacred by both groups of people.

 

Vocabulary

Obelisk: A four sided pillar that tapers toward the top and ends with a pyramid.

 

Questions and Answers

Question: Are the Native Americans honored at the national monument?

Answer: Originally only the fallen U.S. soldiers were honored at the site. As we have gained more understanding about the battle and compassion for the natives, memorials to the fallen Native Americans have been added to the national monument.

 

Learn more about the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.