Little Bighorn Battlefield

If you are heading towards Bozeman from the east, a visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is sure to satisfy any history buff or curious citizen. To get to Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument which lies within the Crow Indian Reservation, take exit 510 off I-90. If you are flying, the closest airport is Billings Logan International Airport, located 65 miles northwest of the monument. There is also a small airport in Sheridan, Wyoming located 73 miles to the south. Public transportation in the form of bus service is available in the town of Crow Agency, Montana.

The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument was built to commemorate one of America's most famous and important battles--Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was the culmination of 400 years of Native American and Euro-American struggles. The battle took place on June 25 and 26, 1876 when 12 companies of the Seventh Calvary led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer charged the largest encampment of Lakota (Sioux), Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians that ever came together. The Native American warriors, led by Chief Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, obliterated Custer's Calvary, killing 260 men. Also called, Custer's Last Stand, it was the Native American Indians' greatest victory.

The battlefield was designated as a national cemetery in 1879. In 1881, a memorial was put up on Last Stand Hill marking the mass grave of US soldiers who were killed in the battle. The Little Bighorn Battlefield recognized only the fallen US soldiers but made no honors to the Indian warriors who fell. The Indian sacrifices went unrecognized until 1991 when the US Congress ordered the construction of an Indian Memorial. money is still being raised to erect the Indian memorial, which will cost $2.5 million.

Today, the efforts to recognize the Indian contributions to American history has created somewhat of a new attitude in the Native American peoples. Native American hold about half of the summer tour guide jobs in the monument, and the Crow Tribe's Little Bighorn College holds a tour bus contract. Indian ceremonies are also held at the Battlefield and more Native Americans feel better about visiting the monument.

Daily tours and walks led by the visitor's center are available. Living History Contact Stations are also set up everyday to explain the lifestyles of the Plains Indians and US Calvary back in 1876. Over a thousand different books about this famous battle are available in the visitor's center store.

Other Online Resources

  • Custer State Park
    Visit Custer State Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota.

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