Black Hills Pow Wow showcased Native veterans’ opposition to Custer
Grand entry featured veterans dragging Custer’s flag to commemorate Battle of the Greasy Grass
The Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho people who defeated Lt. Col. George Custer and the 7th Cavalry in 1876 at the Battle of the Greasy Grass were honored 150 years later with an emotional display in front of thousands at the Black Hills Pow Wow in South Dakota.
On Saturday, Native American veterans, dressed in their U.S. military garments, led the grand entry, dragging Custer’s flag into the powwow arena circle. During another song, a reenactment of Custer’s Last Stand began with a person grabbing the flag and waving it around traditional dancers in the arena.
The dancers surrounded Custer, and eventually swarmed the person, who disappeared leaving just the flag on the ground to be stomped on by the dancers for the rest of the song.
The 38th annual Black Hills Pow Wow took place over the weekend at the Summit Arena at the Monument, in Rapid City, South Dakota.
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