The dedication of a new $2.3 million monument honoring the Native Americans who fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876, is set to take place at 10:00 am on the battle’s 127th anniversary. The structure, portraying Native American warriors on horseback, will stand less than 100 yards from an older monument on the Montana battlefield honoring the defeated Custer and his troops. The event is expected to attract up to 10,000 people and will include speeches by political figures, a tribute to Private Lori Piestewa, the Hopi woman killed in the Iraq war, horseback riding, and Native singing and dancing. Though there is some concern over the exact design of the sculpture, most tribal leaders are relieved that years of pleading with the federal government to officially honor their ancestors has finally yielded results.
