06/26/2026
On June 25, 1876, exactly 150 years ago on this very day; two worlds collided in battle along the ridges above the winding Little Bighorn River under the Montana sky. In a mission led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, it was meant to be a swift and easily won endeavor with little to no formal battle plans other than to force Native peoples onto reservations. Instead, they rode into one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous warriors ever assembled on the Northern Plains.
Families of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho had come together to preserve a way of life that had sustained them for generations. They fought not for conquest or violence; but merely for their homes, their children, their traditions, and their freedom. Among their leaders were Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Gall.
What followed was indeed swift, and over in only a matter of 1-2 hrs. Leaving more than 260 soldiers dead on the hills that now bear silent witness to their final stand, and the death count of the native warriors is only an estimate; but believed to be between 30-60.
In combination, hundreds of horses were also killed during the battle.
Following this heartbreakingly brief victory, the Lakota and Cheyenne warriors spoke not only of the courage of the people who fought, but also of the courage and bravery of the horses who carried them through the plains and into the battle. They viewed the loss of a horse as deeply personal, and grieved them in a way that they would grieve the loss of a loved companion.
Today, 150 years later, the wind still sweeps across the grassy plains, carrying little more than the songs of birds and the rustle of the prairie. White marble markers honor the fallen soldiers, while red granite markers now stand where Native warriors fought and died. Both American and Native peoples collected and buried the bodies of their fallen warriors, with Custer himself being relocated to West Point.
But even this many years later, standing there at the top of the hill; it is almost impossible not to imagine the thunder of horses, the smoke over the ridges, and the fierce resolve of people defending the only life they had ever known. There is a solemn silence and almost instinctual demand to whisper when you see it in person; and an even deeper feeling of sadness knowing that despite the brief victory of the Native warriors, it would be foreshadowed by their knowledge that the United States would soon return in greater numbers and with vengeance. A prediction that would prove accurate - as the federal military campaigns would compel them to reservations in the years following. It was a breathtaking memorial to be able to visit in person last weekend, and one I won't soon forget.
