Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Heritage Happenstance
Yesterday was an eventful day in the Museum. Not only did Hayley and I begin drawings and sketches on a new display pertaining to Custer’s Life Insurance Policy, but we also got the okay from Chris to switch up another display in order to show more about Libbie Custer. If creating our own displays in the museum was not exciting enough, while I was working I had “relatives” of Sitting Bull and Custer walk in right after one another. Usually I get a couple “relatives” a week, but I’ve never had two people come in almost at the same time. While I was checking in Custer, Sitting Bull overheard his announcement, and the two men went walking around the Museum together reminiscing about their supposed ancestors. At the risk of sounding too judgmental, I would believe some of these men if any were willing to show some proof. Even if these “relatives” are not really related to these two infamous men, their stories are always fun to listen to and who knows, I might have even learned a thing or two.
Monday, June 7, 2010
The new 2010 summer interns!
Hayley, Kiley, and Andrew here, the new interns for the summer 2010! The season has just kicked off, all of us arriving just within the last week or two. We have all unpacked, toured the museum and battlefield, and are ready for a summer of museum tourin' and history-havin' fun.
Kiley here now! The landscape of Montana is beautiful! It really is "Big Sky Country"; much different than what I am used to living on the East Coast. So far my favorite thing about Garryowen is where we are. We work and live on the exact same ground the Battle of Little Big Horn began. I could walk outside our room and possibly be standing in the same spot Sitting Bull might have stood over 100 years ago. The idea of being where he once camped is thrilling. For me this land, along with the artifacts in the museum, really help to bring history alive!
Hayley here. I have to agree with Kiley that my favorite aspect of the museum so far is being able to live where Sitting Bull camped, and where Reno first attacked the village. Inside the museum, I have been keeping my eye on the lock of Custer's hair (maybe I will get to see it even closer!). Our room is very comfortable, with photos of Libbie Custer and Sitting Bull looking over us at night.
Andrew here: My first day at Garryowen I got to experience how the Battle of the Little Big Horn is still used as a tool in the training of new generations of military officers. With the visit of a group of officer candidates from the Indiana National Guard, I was able to experience first hand how the lessons of Custer and the Little Big Horn are incorporated into the understanding of the modern battlefield.
Kiley here now! The landscape of Montana is beautiful! It really is "Big Sky Country"; much different than what I am used to living on the East Coast. So far my favorite thing about Garryowen is where we are. We work and live on the exact same ground the Battle of Little Big Horn began. I could walk outside our room and possibly be standing in the same spot Sitting Bull might have stood over 100 years ago. The idea of being where he once camped is thrilling. For me this land, along with the artifacts in the museum, really help to bring history alive!
Hayley here. I have to agree with Kiley that my favorite aspect of the museum so far is being able to live where Sitting Bull camped, and where Reno first attacked the village. Inside the museum, I have been keeping my eye on the lock of Custer's hair (maybe I will get to see it even closer!). Our room is very comfortable, with photos of Libbie Custer and Sitting Bull looking over us at night.
Andrew here: My first day at Garryowen I got to experience how the Battle of the Little Big Horn is still used as a tool in the training of new generations of military officers. With the visit of a group of officer candidates from the Indiana National Guard, I was able to experience first hand how the lessons of Custer and the Little Big Horn are incorporated into the understanding of the modern battlefield.
Friday, September 11, 2009
In Memoriam
"A survey of the disastrous battleground disclosed a dreadful slaughter."
"The suffering was heartrending."
"It is true...it is no excuse for their treachery and atrocities."
"The situation now looks serious."
These quotes were published in newspapers and magazines in the year 1876 after the disastrous Battle of the Little Bighorn. The news reached Americans on a wide-spread scale during the nation's Centennial celebration - a time when Americans were revelling in their nation's strength and achievements. What a shock it was to realize that a country being lauded for its endurance had suffered such a severe blow.
We don't have to imagine the grief that every American experienced on that day in 1876. Just two months after celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn - proclaiming "Peace, Unity, Friendship" - that shock once again resonated across America on September 11, 2001 as we watched images we'll never forget, hearing comments as chilling as those above.
It is lamentable that such calamitous occasions should occur, but they reveal how we as a nation are unified throughout history. Just as we erected a memorial at Ground Zero, monuments and memorials dot the landscape of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, declaring America's resolution to never forget. One such monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Custer Battlefield Museum. The granite tomb holds the remains of an unidentified 7th Cavalry trooper, whose skeleton was found fifty years after the battle was waged. The tomb and peace memorial were dedicated during the Burying the Hatchet Ceremony, with White Bull Sioux Indian and General Godfrey performing the ceremony before thousands of observers.
Today, the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the events of 9/11 came together at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, when students from Lodge Grass High School hung their 9/11-themed artwork on the monument. Forty-seven original creations adorned the tomb and peace memorial. Unlike the grave statements above, the students' words and images express reverence and a fresh hope:
"We remember."
"Not forgotten."
"United we stand."
"God bless America."
KB
"The suffering was heartrending."
"It is true...it is no excuse for their treachery and atrocities."
"The situation now looks serious."
These quotes were published in newspapers and magazines in the year 1876 after the disastrous Battle of the Little Bighorn. The news reached Americans on a wide-spread scale during the nation's Centennial celebration - a time when Americans were revelling in their nation's strength and achievements. What a shock it was to realize that a country being lauded for its endurance had suffered such a severe blow.
We don't have to imagine the grief that every American experienced on that day in 1876. Just two months after celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn - proclaiming "Peace, Unity, Friendship" - that shock once again resonated across America on September 11, 2001 as we watched images we'll never forget, hearing comments as chilling as those above.
It is lamentable that such calamitous occasions should occur, but they reveal how we as a nation are unified throughout history. Just as we erected a memorial at Ground Zero, monuments and memorials dot the landscape of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, declaring America's resolution to never forget. One such monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Custer Battlefield Museum. The granite tomb holds the remains of an unidentified 7th Cavalry trooper, whose skeleton was found fifty years after the battle was waged. The tomb and peace memorial were dedicated during the Burying the Hatchet Ceremony, with White Bull Sioux Indian and General Godfrey performing the ceremony before thousands of observers.
Today, the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the events of 9/11 came together at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, when students from Lodge Grass High School hung their 9/11-themed artwork on the monument. Forty-seven original creations adorned the tomb and peace memorial. Unlike the grave statements above, the students' words and images express reverence and a fresh hope:
"We remember."
"Not forgotten."
"United we stand."
"God bless America."
KB
Monday, August 31, 2009
Custer Battlefield Museum: 10 Little Known Facts
It is said that Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer is the most photographed/researched/written about man in history. Likewise, his Last Stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn has drawn interest from hundreds, nay thousands, of individuals. This is part of the reason our director, Christopher Kortlander, decided to open a museum on the battlefield.
Those who choose to visit the Custer Battlefield museum will undoubtedly leave knowing more than they did when they entered. Working in the museum every day, I have had a unique opportunity to learn a lot about the battle, but my knowledge of the museum's exhibits has come to include some things that often go unnoticed.
1.) Of the ninety-some photographs lining the museum's walls, it is easy to miss seeing a few. One that I hope you don't miss seeing is Hairy Chin, of the Hunkpapa tribe, dressed as Uncle Sam. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.
2.) According to one of our exhibits, the name Hunkpapa means "those who camp at the entrance." Now I find this to be interesting, because in June of 1876, the Hunkpapa tribe was situated on the edge of the Indian Encampment in the valley of the Little Bighorn - the edge where Major Reno's column attacked, beginning the battle. Could it be that their name was prophetic? Or that they really did always situate themselves at the entrance to the camp?
3.) One of the Indian casualties of the battle was a Cheyenne named Roman Nose. What an interesting blend of cultures - a Native American with a name referencing an ancient culture, of which one presumes they only knew through their interactions with the White Man.
4.) Apparently the soldiers of the all-Black Ninth Cavalry were called Buffalo Soldiers by the Indians, because their hair resembled that of a buffalo. Now I've read several articles about the Buffalo Soldiers, but not one seemed to mention the origin of their nickname. Thank you, Custer Battlefield Museum, for clearing that one up for me.
5.) Sitting Bull - one of the most repeated names in the museum - is mentioned in the exhibits 30 times. Lending credence to my opening statement, Custer is referenced more than 100 times.
6.) A close examination of the museum's several oil paintings will prove to be enlightening and inspiring. However, Kirk Stirnweis' "They Died With Their Boots On" seems to be the most gruesome, featuring a soldier falling into death with an arrow in his throat and a man staring out of the canvas with one bulging eye - too uncannily like that video of the prairie dog on the Japanese game show. Don't know what I'm talking about? Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kyi0WNg40
7.) The museum's collection includes nigh a dozen pairs of moccasins. One, however, is missing a shoe lace.
8.) Custer always went into battle with his personal flag, sewn for him by his wife, Libbie. The Custer Battlefield Museum has a replica of this guidon, however, it has one flaw: it is missing Libbie's initials, which she stitched into one of the corners. To our credit, though, these initials were shot off the guidon before it even reached her husband.
9.) In the diorama of the battle created by a high school class in 1976, one of the warriors appears to be pulling off the Matrix bullet-dodge move - and this before the technology seen in The Matrix was even dreamed of!
10.) The painting "Battle of Little Bighorn," by a European artist named Bergven, hangs on the museum's back wall and is covered in thick stains. I spent days lamenting the painting's poor quality of conservation, and then I realized it used to hang in a bar. The stains? Beer. The painting's quality? Inexplainably, yet quaintly, improved. KB
Those who choose to visit the Custer Battlefield museum will undoubtedly leave knowing more than they did when they entered. Working in the museum every day, I have had a unique opportunity to learn a lot about the battle, but my knowledge of the museum's exhibits has come to include some things that often go unnoticed.
1.) Of the ninety-some photographs lining the museum's walls, it is easy to miss seeing a few. One that I hope you don't miss seeing is Hairy Chin, of the Hunkpapa tribe, dressed as Uncle Sam. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.
2.) According to one of our exhibits, the name Hunkpapa means "those who camp at the entrance." Now I find this to be interesting, because in June of 1876, the Hunkpapa tribe was situated on the edge of the Indian Encampment in the valley of the Little Bighorn - the edge where Major Reno's column attacked, beginning the battle. Could it be that their name was prophetic? Or that they really did always situate themselves at the entrance to the camp?
3.) One of the Indian casualties of the battle was a Cheyenne named Roman Nose. What an interesting blend of cultures - a Native American with a name referencing an ancient culture, of which one presumes they only knew through their interactions with the White Man.
4.) Apparently the soldiers of the all-Black Ninth Cavalry were called Buffalo Soldiers by the Indians, because their hair resembled that of a buffalo. Now I've read several articles about the Buffalo Soldiers, but not one seemed to mention the origin of their nickname. Thank you, Custer Battlefield Museum, for clearing that one up for me.
5.) Sitting Bull - one of the most repeated names in the museum - is mentioned in the exhibits 30 times. Lending credence to my opening statement, Custer is referenced more than 100 times.
6.) A close examination of the museum's several oil paintings will prove to be enlightening and inspiring. However, Kirk Stirnweis' "They Died With Their Boots On" seems to be the most gruesome, featuring a soldier falling into death with an arrow in his throat and a man staring out of the canvas with one bulging eye - too uncannily like that video of the prairie dog on the Japanese game show. Don't know what I'm talking about? Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kyi0WNg40
7.) The museum's collection includes nigh a dozen pairs of moccasins. One, however, is missing a shoe lace.
8.) Custer always went into battle with his personal flag, sewn for him by his wife, Libbie. The Custer Battlefield Museum has a replica of this guidon, however, it has one flaw: it is missing Libbie's initials, which she stitched into one of the corners. To our credit, though, these initials were shot off the guidon before it even reached her husband.
9.) In the diorama of the battle created by a high school class in 1976, one of the warriors appears to be pulling off the Matrix bullet-dodge move - and this before the technology seen in The Matrix was even dreamed of!
10.) The painting "Battle of Little Bighorn," by a European artist named Bergven, hangs on the museum's back wall and is covered in thick stains. I spent days lamenting the painting's poor quality of conservation, and then I realized it used to hang in a bar. The stains? Beer. The painting's quality? Inexplainably, yet quaintly, improved. KB
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Salutations
Twenty days after my arrival, I've figured it's finally time to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Kathy, the new intern.
So far I've been enjoying my time here at Garryowen. The museum is a great place to work, and there's never a dull moment with visitors in the museum. Of course, now that summer is coming to a close, this week has shown a significant decrease in traffic, and the museum has been rather quiet. That's okay, though, because it will give us an opportunity to do some more work in the display cases. Keep an eye open for pictures of the upcoming display of Birdie Real Bird hand-crafted dolls.
Last week, before Lauren left, she and I were able to head over to Crow Agency for the Annual Crow Fair Celebration. As we wandered through the "Teepee Capital of the World," we marvelled at the mingling of unique customs, crafts, and foods. (I'm serious about the foods - I expected to see Indian Tacos and fry bread, and Mexican food was a only tad unexpected, but there were way too many Chinese food vendors!) After our perusal of the different vendors - I bought a turquoise bracelet, and Lauren bought a tomahawk - we grabbed some food (not Chinese), nabbed a spot on the bleachers, and waited for the powwow to begin. There was an impressive opening procession, followed by intertribal dancing and dance competitions. The prizes for the three finalists of the Tiny Tots divisions were miniature horses - awesome, and so unfair! Of course, the evening would not be complete without honoring Joe Medicine Crow, just returned from his trip to D.C., where he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (See pictures to the left!) KB
So far I've been enjoying my time here at Garryowen. The museum is a great place to work, and there's never a dull moment with visitors in the museum. Of course, now that summer is coming to a close, this week has shown a significant decrease in traffic, and the museum has been rather quiet. That's okay, though, because it will give us an opportunity to do some more work in the display cases. Keep an eye open for pictures of the upcoming display of Birdie Real Bird hand-crafted dolls.
Last week, before Lauren left, she and I were able to head over to Crow Agency for the Annual Crow Fair Celebration. As we wandered through the "Teepee Capital of the World," we marvelled at the mingling of unique customs, crafts, and foods. (I'm serious about the foods - I expected to see Indian Tacos and fry bread, and Mexican food was a only tad unexpected, but there were way too many Chinese food vendors!) After our perusal of the different vendors - I bought a turquoise bracelet, and Lauren bought a tomahawk - we grabbed some food (not Chinese), nabbed a spot on the bleachers, and waited for the powwow to begin. There was an impressive opening procession, followed by intertribal dancing and dance competitions. The prizes for the three finalists of the Tiny Tots divisions were miniature horses - awesome, and so unfair! Of course, the evening would not be complete without honoring Joe Medicine Crow, just returned from his trip to D.C., where he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (See pictures to the left!) KB
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Joe Medicine Crow is the Man
Lauren: And then there was one. Justin left on Thursday the 30th, before even the birds were up, and now there's just one of us left here until Kathy, the new intern, gets here on the 5th. In other news, Dr. Joe Medicine Crow (96), the Crow chief and historian, will be honored by President Obama in DC on the 12 of August. Dr. Medicine Crow is to receive the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, along with such visionaries as Stephen Hawking, Senator Edward Kennedy, Billie Jean King, Harvey Milk, Sidney Poitier and Mary Robinson (there are 16 recipients, total). About a week ago Justin and I had the fantastic opportunity to meet Joe and take a picture with him (see the picture collection to the left). He really is an amazing guy. He was the first Crow Native American to receive a masters degree, and while he was studying for his PhD he was drafted into World War II - though the draft may have interrupted his studies, it did allow him to fulfill all the requirements of chiefdom while abroad (leading a successful raid, stealing the enemy's horses, counting coup). Dr. Medicine Crow had previously song a "Praise Song" to President Obama (prior to his election) and now feels that the President has earned the honor of a victory song, the same song taught to Joe by his grandfather, White Man Runs Him, one of Custer's scouts. The ceremonies are taking place in just over a week and the Director of the Museum has been invited to accompany Joe to D.C., which will allow the Custer Battlefield Museum a whole new insight into Native American relations and history. -LK
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Updates
Lauren: Well, folks, I'm sure the suspense is killing you as to what's been going down at the Custer Battlefield Museum. We've had a few twists in plot and I felt I should keep everyone up to date. In latest news, Justin, or "G.I. Justin," as he will be referred to heretofore, is going into the military. While this will secure his financial future, it also leaves me as the lone intern, twisting in the wind. I'm not sure if I should call him Reno or Benteen. Kidding aside, Justin's off to defend our country against threats foreign and domestic while I'm here, defending history from ignorance, intentional and accidental.
This last week I was very excited because an article I wrote about the visit from the Officer Candidate School of Fort Meade was printed in the Big Horn County News and this next week it'll also appear in the Welcome Visitors Guide.
-L
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Follow the road to glory....
The View From the Outside Looking In
All the Pretty Horses
The First Visit to LBH NM
Battle Recreation Table
Ghost Dance Shirt
LBH Miniatures
a close-up of the battle recreation
Custer's Cravat
Somebody loves the cravat
Lewis and Clark
A bear, a 400-year-old canoe and a ram head, with one thing in common
Justin and his gun
he is waaaay too excited about holding this gun