Northern Cheyenne oppose changes to Native displays at Little Bighorn

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe said it will oppose efforts by the Trump administration to change or remove displays recognizing Native Americans at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, according to MTN News. The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council voted 11-0 on Feb. 2 to adopt a resolution opposing changes to signs, markers and exhibits honoring Native Americans at the site.

According to a tribal press release cited by MTN News, the tribe referenced federal Public Law 102-201, which authorized the Indian Memorial at the monument, and Article X of the Montana Constitution, which calls for preserving American Indian cultural integrity. Tribal officials said the administration flagged two exhibits near Crow Agency as non-compliant, including signage describing broken promises to tribes and the loss of Indigenous culture and language through boarding school systems. Northern Cheyenne President Gene Small said altering the displays would conflict with the Indian Memorial’s theme of “Peace through Unity.”