Native Americans and Montana

Before leaving the topic of the Little Bighorn Memorial, I have one more necessary detail to add. The leader of the Native American warriors on June 25, 1876 was Chief Sitting Bull, warrior and statesman. He was the spiritual leader of the Lakota tribe who thought it important that his people keep their traditional way of life.  We found a quote from him on one of the interpretive signs at the memorial: "you are fools to make yourselves slave to a piece of fat bacon, some hard-tack, and a little sugar and coffee".  After the battle of Little Big Horn he continued for awhile to lead several bands of Sioux and Cheyenne in skirmishes against the United States. Another item which I want to mention here is that the theme adopted by the Native Indians for their memorial was:- "Peace through Unity". 

 

The rest of our journey through Montana took us through Native American reservations.  One town is named Lame Deer, located on the North Cheyenne Reservation.  We went slowly through the town, but along the main route through town we saw no park, or even the sight of any fast food places.  One gas station had food to offer- but that was only fried offerings.  We were carrying our own supplies for a picnic.  Before leaving Lame Deer we saw an interesting mural, however.

We also noticed a sign pointing the direction to Chief Dull Knife community college.  Interestingly enough, after we arrived home we saw an article in the paper mentioning that a forest fire had come near the town Lame Deer.  We just thought it so neat that a small town in Montana, mentioned in the paper, was a town which we had just traveled through- and we are quite happy for the town's people that the forest fire was stopped before reaching it!

So here was our lunch spot, just a picnic table by the side of the road in the town of Ashland-  located east of the of the North Cheyenne Reservation boundary, and not very far from Lame Deer.  How sad for these small reservation towns, lacking any shady type of parkland or even playgrounds.  But they are small towns- Lame Deer has a population of around 2,000 and Ashland 464.  Small shacks or trailers dot the land, this speaking to the apparent poverty found in these areas.  I also found the names of Lame Deer and Chief Dull Knife intriguing, but discovered later that those were the name of important Native Indian leaders.