“I am now 98 years of age, so I was alive to meet many survivors of the Custer battle. I talked directly with the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, and the Crow scouts who were at the battle. My grandfather, White Man Runs Him, was a Custer scout at the battle. His Crow name really means “Chased by a White Man,” given to him because the soldiers never caught him. The Indian scouts warned Custer of the danger but he ignored them and attacked the Sioux-Cheyenne camp.

“Custer came to fight and try to end the Indian way of life. The Sioux condemned Custer for invading their country, so we say that they “Siouxed him” for it. It’s funny, yes? Custer and his men got Siouxed.

“There are over 3,000 publications about the Custer battle. But most of them ignore the accounts of the only survivors of the battle. The Indians knew the story, but most historians don’t want to listen to them. My people did not depend on writing, so they had very good memories of events. Everyone should know the true story of the battle, so I wrote a reenactment in the form of a pageant: “Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment”. It is historically accurate.

“The Little Bighorn Reenactment is held every year on the third week of June. Hundreds of people participate on horseback to recreate the battle, including many Crow Indians. It is exciting to watch. The Reenactment is located just south of Crow Agency, Montana. It is between the historic places of Custer’s Last Stand Hill and Reno-Benteen Battlefield.

“Paul Goble’s retelling of the Custer battle is also based on Indian sources. It is very accurate. So you can also learn the real story from this book.

“Paul Goble is a good friend. I have known him for many years. He sure can draw! His paintings are accurate in all the details. They bring the story of the Custer battle to life.”
—Joe Medicine Crow (Click here for more information on Dr. Joe Medicine Crow.)