CROW AGENCY — The 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is weeks away, and tribal leaders are working to ensure their perspective of one of the most significant battles in American history is preserved and shared with the public.
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On Thursday, Northern Cheyenne tribal members, through the Northern Cheyenne Cultural Commission, joined landowner Jim Real Bird to scout a location for a new interpretive sign on private land along the Little Bighorn River, situated between the Reno Battlefield and the Custer Battlefield.
Real Bird's family has owned the land for generations, and part of his property lies within the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, where Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho warriors defeated Lt. Col. George Custer's army 150 years ago. The battle remains a defining event in both Native American and U.S. history.
Real Bird said he welcomed the opportunity to share the site with tribal partners and visitors.
"This is good ground. It's one of the biggest victories in Native America," Real Bird said. "I'm welcoming my friends from Northern Cheyenne to use this place."
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Vice President Assistant Eugene Little Coyote said the spot marks where four Cheyenne warriors and five Lakota warriors first engaged Custer's troops on June 25, 1876. He named the four Cheyenne warriors as Bobtail Horse, Bull Knife, Roan Bear, and Calf.
Tribal leaders said the marker will explain how a small group of Cheyenne and Lakota warriors prevented the 7th Cavalry from crossing the river and reaching the nearby village.
"Had they not engaged them and stopped their advance across the river, Custer's troops would have gotten into our villages and just killed a lot of people," Little Coyote said. "So this was a pivotal moment at the beginning of this, the Custer side of the battle."
The planned marker will be an interpretive sign with the header "Thus Far and No Farther," a quote drawn from Custer's own book, "My Life on the Plains."
The marker is intended to complement existing National Park Service exhibits while highlighting tribal historical perspectives.
"Along this tour road, you have a lot of interpretive signs for the points for the Park Service. Our tribe has important historical points too, and this is one of them, really important point, and we want to remember it and preserve it," Little Coyote said.
A small dedication ceremony to install the interpretive sign is scheduled for June 24, with the Real Bird family serving as guests of honor.
The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument will host a series of public events June 25 through 27. The park's visitor center is currently under construction, and the site is closed Mondays through Thursdays, but it will be fully open and free to the public for the anniversary weekend.
"This commemoration will offer opportunities for reflection, learning, and cultural exchange," the park service's website said.
The Real Bird family will also host their annual Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment on their land, a tradition spanning more than three decades. The 34th annual reenactment is scheduled for 1 p.m. on June 26, 27 and 28. The site is located between the Little Bighorn National Memorial and the Custer's Battlefield Museum, south of Crow Agency in Montana.
Real Bird expects more than 500 horses and riders to participate in this year's reenactment, which portrays events surrounding the battle from Indigenous and military perspectives. The performances typically last about 90 minutes.
"We expect thousands of people more than previous years," Little Coyote said.
Real Bird said he hopes the land and its history can be shared widely.
"It's a good place. I think that we should share it with people as much as possible, respectfully," Real Bird said. "Whatever tribal affiliation you have, it doesn't really matter to me as long as you're a warrior and you speak your language."
For tribal leaders, the anniversary is also a moment to shape how the battle is remembered and what message it sends to future generations.
"We're defending ourselves, and I hope that's a big message that comes across, not the hostile savages that Western movies paint us to be," Little Coyote said. "But for ourselves, our message to our Native youth, we want them to be proud of fighting the good fight."
