The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument memorializes the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Located just outside of Billings, Montana, the monument and the expereinces it has created attracts audiences by the thousands and the surrounding county has benefitted from this activity in multiple ways.
Honoring Those Who Fought on Both Sides
Today, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument honors and memorializes all of the people who fought in and fell during the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, which is also known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” The battle saw members of Native American tribes fight the United States Army that was being led under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. It resulted in the defeat of U.S. forces and the death of 263 U.S. Cavalrymen, including Custer. Notable American Indian leaders such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were involved in the events that led up to the battle, while Crazy Horse fought in the battle itself. It’s part of the reason he has been memorialized with the Crazy Horse Memorial.
United States memorialization of the battlefield began in 1879 with a temporary monument to the U.S. dead. A memorial obelisk was built over the remains of about 220 soldiers, scouts and civilians. White marble headstones are still scattered over the battlefield and denote where slain troopers were found and originally buried. In 1881, they were moved to this single grave with and a more permanent memorial obelisk was erected. Various officers, including General Custer, were removed in 1877 to cemetery throughout the country.
Markers honoring the Indians who fought at Little Big Horn, including Crazy Horse, have been added to those of the U.S. troops. They are marked with phrases like “A Cheyenne Warrior fell here on June 25, 1875 while defending the Cheyenne way of life.”
Known as the “Custer Battlefield National Monument,” since 1946, the site was renamed Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in 1991 to honor the people who fought and died on both sides of the battle. As part of the transition of the entire monument, the “Peace Through Unity” sculpture was erected in 2003. It honors the Native Americans who died on this sacred ground. The design is intended to be a living memorial to the Plains Indian women and warriors who took part in the fateful battle in one of the most famous efforts to preserve their way of life. It contains the names and history of the individuals and tribes that were involved in the battle.
The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument displays the history of the area in multiple ways, but that history comes to life in a whole new context in the visitor center and as part of several experiences that visitors can have throughout the site.
Fully Understanding the Context of the Battle
The visitor center and museum contains countless artifacts from before and after the battle, along with a timetable and other materials that explain the road to the battle and aftermath. Both the memorial obelisk and “Peace Through Unity” memorial are within walking distance of the visitor’s center. Adjoining the visitor center is Custer National Cemetery, which includes interments from abandoned frontier military posts, the world wars, Korea and Vietnam.
Custer National Cemetery contains approximately 4,900 internments, with graves of known and unknown veterans of American wars, women and children from isolated frontier posts, American Indians, scouts and Medal of Honor recipients. A map allows visitors to locate specific graves, while a brochure contains more info about the Cemetery itself and many of the notable people that are buried in it, including Curly and Marcus Reno, who both fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Guided tours allow visitors to get a personal sense of what took place in the area while markers are displayed throughout the entire monument to provide visitors with a great deal of information that provides them with context around the battle. Trail guides and maps also help visitors see for themselves how the battle unfolded and allow them to experience it in their own way and at their own pace.
The Tour Road allows visitors to drive the 4.5-mile tour road and listen to a cell phone audio tour along the way that provides a narrative of soldier movements and warrior accounts. While not as all-encompassing as some auto-tours, the Tour Road allows visitors to more fully understand the story of the battle.
These experiences have all contributed to the tremendous social and cultural impact that the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument has been able to create for the entire region.
Direct Revenue and Indirect Activity for the Community
The cost of admission to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument represents a powerful source of direct revenue for the monument, while a variety of items are available for purchase in the gift shop, providing an additional source of revenue. Visitors can also support the park with donations or as volunteers.
Surrounding businesses have been able to cater to visitors with offerings and amenities that are directly related to the history of the area. Additionally, nearby attractions also benefit from the activity of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument while nearby towns like Garryowen specifically promote attractions such as the Custer Battlefield Museum that contain photos and relics from the battle.
The Friends Of The Little Bighorn Battlefield is a non-profit that was formed to raise funds to aid and directly promote management programs and objectives of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The organization is an official partner of the National Park Service affiliated with the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument per its Memorandum of Agreement. Their store contains books and videos covering the Little Bighorn, Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and more.
By creating such unique experiences for visitors that residents can actively support, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument has been able to establish a legacy that honors all of the people who fought in the battle. Doing so has enabled the monument to generate direct revenue for itself while spurring indirect activity for the community, all of which will help it to have a monumentous impact on the present and future of the region and country.
The Transformation of a Legacy
Few locations have the history or significance that the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument contains, but the experiences and activity that have been established throughout the park make it about so much more than this history. The U.S. Soldiers who fought in the battle have always been commemorated, but now the American Indians, who were fighting to preserve their land and culture, are remembered and recognized as well.
By modernizing “Custer’s Last Stand”, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument has been able to demonstrate not only what it means to transform a legacy, but also prove how doing so can allow residents to become that much closer to a monument while also attracting that many more visitors.
