The Story of the Indian Memorial

By Bob Reece

Review complete coverage of the Indian Memorial Dedication on June 25, 2003

Donlin Many Bad Horses at future site of the Memorial

Photo  © Rodney Bridgers

Seventy-Six years ago a letter was sent to the U.S. Department of the Army from Mrs. Thomas Beaverheart. She requested that markers be dedicated to the fallen warriors on the Little Bighorn Battlefield so that, “the place might be remembered on the next anniversary.” She never received a reply.

Over the decades, similar requests followed Mrs. Beaverheart’s that were made by different people, but all fell silent. They were ignored or false promises were given.

Frustrated by this seeming lack of concern, Russell Means led a contingent upon the battlefield on June 25, 1988 and placed a makeshift plaque upon the mass grave to represent a memorial to the Indian warriors. At that moment, both Neil and I were acting as guides on two buses loaded with folks following Custer’s trail up the Rosebud. We arrived at the battlefield about an hour after the demonstration was finished and Russell Means long gone. We looked upon the plaque and wondered if this day would drive the necessary forces to finally make a change.

It did. Within three years President George H. Bush signed into law the bill that would change the name of the battlefield from the Custer Battlefield National Monument to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The bill stated, “The public interest will best be served by establishing a memorial…to honor and recognize the Indians who fought to preserve their land and culture.”

It was estimated that the costs to build the Memorial would be about $2.3M. Where would the money come from? The 7^th Cavalry Monument that stands on Last Stand Hill cost $500 in 1881. That was a lot of money back then, too. Attempts were made in good faith to raise the funds for the future memorial, but time dragged on with no success.

In March of 1998, Neil Mangum came on board as Superintendent. He and I sat on a committee with the National Park Foundation whose purpose was to design a plan to raise the funds. Even though a plan was soon in place, the money was trickling in and not flowing.

With determination and resolve, Neil met with U.S. Senator Burns of Montana while in Washington D.C. on business in February 2001. Neil basically reminded Senator Burns that 10 years after President Bush signed the bill, there was still NO memorial. Something needed to be done.

It was decided that Senator Burns would request $2.3 million be included in the Department of Interior’s appropriations bill to be used to construct the Indian Memorial. It passed through committee, and then passed on the floors of the House and Senate in September 2001. Ironically, it would be President Bush’s son, George W. Bush who would now sign the bill that approved the funds to build the Memorial.

We all can give Mr. Mangum credit and thanks for his resolve in seeing this through after a long 125 years.

View photos of the construction of the Memorial.

"The time has come to give equal honor to the Indian people who've been denied that for so long"   U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne)

"We want a place where the Native descendants can feel welcome and believe one's people had done a courageous and good thing..." Arthur Amiotte (Oglala Lakota), Memorial Advisory Committee

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