TRAIL TO THE LITTLE BIGHORN

Out here, history is complex and multi-layered. As westward expansion collided with Indigenous tribes, the clashes of culture were violent and often misinterpreted.

The Battle of Little Bighorn is perhaps one of the most talked-about and controversial battles in American history.

On June 25 and 26 in 1876, the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry, along with Crow and Arikara scouts and with attached personnel, were defeated by Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors in one of their last armed efforts to preserve their way of life.

This battle was not an isolated fight but rather part of a much larger strategic campaign to force the capitulation of the non-reservation Lakota and Cheyenne people.

The Trail to the Little Bighorn helps visitors look at the bigger picture. The events leading up to and resulting from this climactic battle still reverberate across the Western plains. To better understand how history affects life today one must consider all sides, all voices, and all stories.

Follow the Trail to the Little Bighorn across Southeast Montana at Bighorn.SoutheastMontana.com to learn more.

PLACES TO EXPLORE:

A Pompeys Pillar National Monument | Pompeys Pillar

B Chief Plenty Coups State Park | Pryor

C Big Horn County Museum | Hardin

D Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument | Crow Agency

E Rosebud Battlefield State Park | Busby

F Chief Dull Knife College | Lame Deer

FAST FACT: The Northern Cheyenne refer to the Battle of Little Bighorn as “Where Long Hair Was Wiped Away” and is celebrated annually with Cheyenne Victory Days in Busby. The powwow includes the victory dance, traditional horse relays,

Billings

– Left: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Andy Austin; Above Insets, Left to Right: Big Horn County Museum, Cassie Solberg; Crow Indian Camp 1887, U.S. Signal Corps; Big Horn County Museum, Cassie Solberg; Chief Dull Knife College, Cassie Solberg