Celebrating Custer''s Last Stand : 150 Years Commemorating the Battle of the Little Big Horn

A sweeping clash reshaped U.S.-Native American relations as the Seventh Cavalry was overwhelmed by a coalition of Plains warriors on the eve of the nation’s centennial. Evolving commemorations have reinterpreted its legacy, sparking debate over military actions and cultural remembrance with rare, evocative images.

The Battle of the Little Big Horn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, marked a watershed in relations between American Indian tribes and the U.S. government. How the Seventh U.S. Cavalry Regiment could be so utterly defeated by a coalition of Plains Indian warriors—on the eve of the country’s centennial, no less—seemed to defy explanation. Within months, the United States had not only redoubled its efforts to coerce the Lakotas, Cheyenne, and Arapahoes onto reservations, but also to memorialize George Armstrong Custer, his fallen men, and the battlefield itself. At first, survivors from both sides marked the anniversary of the battle every year, then by significant milestones. Celebrations evolved as survivors passed away and ensuing generations came to perceive Custer as emblematic of the U.S. military’s tragic mistreatment of American Indians.

In Celebrating Custer’s Last Stand, Sandy Barnard, author of four decades’ worth of books and articles on the Civil War, the Plains Indian Wars, Custer, and the Little Big Horn, analyzes the anniversary celebrations and other significant events at what is now Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument to reveal how the memory of the battle and its participants has transformed over the last 150 years. Featuring 150 photographs, many of them previously unpublished, Celebrating Custer’s Last Stand is a must read for anyone interested in public history, Custer, or the Battle of the Little Big Horn.