We then left the wonderful state of North Dakota and headed to Montana. This was our cheat on our trip and we went to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. We knew that we will most likely be spending our Montana trip on the western side and so thought this would be a good opportunity to see this.
I honestly didn’t really think that there would be much there but it proved to be really interesting. We got there WAY later that we planned and were even worried that we weren’t going to make it on time. CONSTRUCTION! BOO!
Anyway, it was definitely an interesting stop. We were able to watch a 25-minute video that highlighted the events leading up to the conflict and the battle that occurred. We decided it is one of those places that you kind of have conflicted feelings. You can understand the perspective of both sides – although I must admit I side mostly with the feelings of the Indians – but it is just sad that things like this even occurred in the first place. That so many lives had to be lost. I was curious about what kind of emotion they were going to end the movie on and thought it was really well done. It ended with the thought that this is a place that causes reflection on the cost of creating our nation.
We could have easily of spent a lot of time {they had sites miles away that you could visit} there but since it was so late in the day we just looked around the areas surrounding the visitors center. We walked up to Custer’s Last Stand. This is where Lt. Col. George A. Custer and the U. S. Army’s 7th Cavalry lost there lives.
It was such a contrast coming from the Fort Union Trading Post where fur traders and Indians worked so well together for decades. It was sad to see where things kind of “ended up” for them. Poor choices made on both sides.
They also have a memorial for those Indians from the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes that died. It was a beautiful memorial and I am glad that both sides of this hard battle were represented.
Finally, we walked around the National Cemetery that is there. I have always appreciated the peacefulness that abides in cemeteries.
Once we left, we began our trek to Billings, Montana, where we stayed for the night. We were all feeling pretty pooped and the next day we began our long trek home.
