Two cultures, a closer understanding (21 July)

Emil and I are standing in front of a portion of the Indian Memorial at  the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument. The two cultures, that of the Native Americans and that of the white man clashed here in a struggle that has had repercussions throughout American history. Walking the hills of the Little Big Horn bring alive the horror of the battle and underscore the history that led to this terrible confrontation.

The Native Americans lived as a spiritual brother of the land, respecting its needs. The white man came to claim the land as their property, ignoring its need in order to gratify their own desires and often destroying it. After Custer's expedition in 1874 and the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, the heart of the new Indian reservation, the pressure on the government to open the land to settlers and gold seekers became too great. (See blog from 20 July). In an effort to contain all Indians in one area, a campaign against the Lakota and Cheyenne was begun in 1876. On June 25th the 7th Cavalry, led by General George Armstrong Custer, located an Indian camp and, underestimating the size and fighting power of the Lakota and Cheyenne forces, and through a number of tactical errors on Custer's side, suffered devestating losses in the following battle.

The anger and hatred between the two cultures, the misunderstandings and continual broken promises, resulted in a number of terrible confrontations in the following years, the most shameful of which was the massacre at Wounded Knee. (It was survivors of the 7th Cavalry who, in 1879, were detailed to collect weapons from the surrendering Indians and through yet another misunderstanding revenged themselves on the unarmed women and children.)

 And yet, there were also those few white men who made an effort to understand and work together with the Indians. Mutual respect was the key to finding peace and a future for both cultures. Today the problems are still enormous. But the Native American is learning how to maintain their own culture, while learning to accept the white man's society, adjusting to it and working to make changes from within it.