Then + Now: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Custer National Cemetery

Left image
Custer National Cemetery, date unknown
Credit: NPS Photo/LIBI archives

Right image
Modern image of Custer National Cemetery
Credit: NPS Photo

On June 25, 1876, Lakota and Cheyenne warriors defeated the US Army at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The battle was a momentary victory for the Lakota and Cheyenne, though. The death of Lt. Col. George A. Custer and his troops became a rallying point for the United States, and the government increased its efforts to force native peoples onto reservation lands. Within one year of the battle, most of the indigenous combatants surrendered and the US government took control of the Black Hills Reservation without compensation. In 1879, part of the battlefield was designated as a national cemetery for the US Army's 7th Cavalry, pictured here on the left. It became a unit of the National Park Service in 1940, and in 1946, was designated as Custer Battlefield National Monument. After decades of advocacy on the part of indigenous groups, President George H.W. Bush changed the name to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in 1991 to recognize indigenous perspectives and those who fought at the site.

Learn More

To learn more about the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, check out their website!

Website