Little Bighorn, The Back Story & What Came After the Battle

Manifest Destiny, broken treaties, discovery of gold in the Black HIlls, a series of inter-tribal conflicts, and the ongoing fight for natural resources culminated in the battle between the U.S. Calvary and seven Indian* groups. George Armstrong Custer and his troops were overwhelmed and all perished. Many of the Indian chiefs and warriors who participated, were later captured or surrendered and were killed.

Kate Burke presents a colorful and intriguing portrayal of the characters and events that led up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, otherwise  known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” Her presentation Includes authentic maps, video, rare photographs, and clips from the award-winning documentary Contested Ground by author, historian, and interpretive ranger, Steve Adelson. Joining Kate will be George Gleason, a volunteer guide at the Battleground, who will share information about the monument today.

Read Kate’s story here, of the Little Bighorn Backstory.

*Note: When the Europeans arrived and began to colonize the Americas, they referred to those already living here as “Indians.”  (Perhaps based on the thought, that Columbus, when he first arrived in India, his original destination.) The term “Native American” was not used at that time, nor would it have been welcome, as the white colonizers considered themselves “American.”