Full Breakdown
150 Years After Greasy Grass: Native Nations Mark the Battle of Little Bighorn
6/26/2026, 10:20:14 PM
The 150th-Anniversary Commemoration
On June 25 2026, hundreds of Native Americans gathered on the Little Bighorn River plains in Montana to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1876 clash between allied Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho forces and the U.S. Seventh Cavalry. The week-long event featured long-distance horse rides, a partial horseback reenactment, traditional songs, dances, a youth relay organized by the Northern Cheyenne nonprofit Blue Bird Lifeways, and a multi-tribal camp of tipis. Participants traveled from the Cheyenne River Reservation (South Dakota), the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation (North Dakota), and tribal communities as far west as Washington state.
Historical Background and Significance
The 1876 engagement—known to many as the Battle of Little Bighorn and to the Indigenous participants as the Battle of Greasy Grass—ended with the death of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and more than 200 cavalrymen. The victory followed a 1874 gold rush in the Black Hills, which prompted a federal campaign to force Plains tribes onto reservations. Lakota leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse directed the resistance; Crazy Horse was killed in 1877 and starvation forced further surrenders by 1881. The defeat shocked a nation celebrating its centennial and accelerated U.S. military actions that produced decades of hardship for Native peoples.
Key Tribal Participants and Leaders
More than 19 tribes coordinated the 2026 observances, including the Cheyenne River Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux, Crow, Lower Brule Sioux, and Oglala Sioux. Tribal chairs Ryman LeBeau (Cheyenne River Sioux) and Frank White Clay (Crow) highlighted unity and treaty advocacy. President Frank Star Comes Out (Oglala Sioux) framed the gathering as evidence of enduring power. Historians such as Dakota Goodhouse and Mark Van Norman provided contextual remarks on the battle’s causes.
Timeline of 2026 Activities
- June 23-24 – Arrival of riders, erection of tipis, youth relay launch.
- June 25 – Partial horseback reenactment on private land; National Park Service ceremony with Chief Looking Horse (Lakota) offering an opening prayer.
- June 26-30 – Horse races, oral-history sessions (oskáte), language workshops, and cultural performances across the Crow Agency and surrounding camps.
Data & Statistics
- 150 years since June 25 1876.
- >200 U.S. soldiers killed in the original battle.
- Over 10,000 attendees projected; on-site counts ranged from several hundred to a few thousand.
- More than 19 tribes involved in planning.
- Dozens of tipis and hundreds of horses assembled for the week-long event.
Why It Matters: Cultural Resilience and Treaty Advocacy
Organizers stress that the commemoration reinforces language preservation, horsemanship, and intergenerational storytelling. Participants describe the gathering as “fuel” for the year and a renewal of identity. The event also serves as a platform to demand U.S. compliance with historic treaties broken after the Black Hills gold rush.
Official Statements & Responses
- Cheyenne River Sioux Chairman Ryman LeBeau said the gathering “remembers those who sacrificed themselves for this victory” and demonstrates tribal unity.
- Crow Chairman Frank White Clay called the week “historic” and urged the federal government to honor treaty obligations.
- The National Park Service scheduled a series of educational programs, including the youth relay and a prayer by Lakota pipe keeper Chief Looking Horse.
- Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association senior counsel Mark Van Norman highlighted the battle as a defense of traditional ways threatened by gold-driven expansion.
- Harvard professor Phil Deloria noted the battle’s timing intersected with the nation’s 100-year centennial celebrations, underscoring a “Native intrusion” into mainstream historical narratives.
Criticism & Opposition
Some Native voices frame the anniversary as a reminder of “250 years of injustice,” citing broken treaties, forced assimilation, and continued marginalization. Crow reenactment coordinator Jim Real Bird emphasized that cultural practices are meaningless without language preservation. Former Standing Rock historic preservation officer Jon Eagle Sr. challenged conventional histories that claim Sitting Bull surrendered, arguing that oral accounts portray a different ending.
On-the-Ground Reports
Observers described a “celebratory” atmosphere: horse riders whooped atop a hill, elders in headdresses, flags of multiple nations fluttering, and children participating in relay runs. Tepees dotted the riverbank, and participants from the Dakotas to Washington shared meals, songs, and stories under open skies.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Attendance estimates vary—Fortune reported “hundreds” while Montana Free Press projected “over 10,000.” The battle’s name also differs across sources, reflecting divergent cultural perspectives. Historical accounts of Sitting Bull’s surrender remain contested, with oral histories contradicting written records.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Today I am celebrating the victory of our people, celebrating my life as a human being and my spot on this earth,” — William Good Bird, traditional singer, Spirit Lake Dakota Nation
- “Our people say that he looked at his son Crow Foot and said, ‘My boy, if you live, you can never be a man in this world because you can never own a gun or a pony,’” — Jon Eagle Sr., former Standing Rock tribal historic preservation officer, Hunkpapa band
- “All the other things that are Native American don’t mean nothing if you don’t know your language,” — Jim Real Bird, Crow tribal member and reenactment coordinator
- “This is our fuel for the year. We come here and this is a renewal for us, too, you know, personally,” — Theresa Long Turkey, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
- “You know, Custer planned [a large-scale attack on tribes gathered along the river] because he wanted to be president,” — Frank Star Comes Out, President, Oglala Sioux Tribe
What’s Next
The National Park Service will host a concluding ceremony on Victory Day (June 25) with tribal leaders addressing treaty enforcement. Youth relay runs will continue through early July, and language workshops are slated for the upcoming fall season. Organizers plan to expand inter-tribal coordination for future anniversaries, emphasizing cultural preservation and political advocacy.
