Introduction

Colleen Cutschall alias sisterwolf, is the designer and project manager for the Spirit Warriors sculpture. This drawing of the sculpture is the central feature of a new aboriginal memorial to be dedicated on June 25, 2003 at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in southeastern Montana, USA. 

The monument site was the scene of a violent clash in 1876 when the US cavalry attacked a large village of Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho camping along the Little Bighorn River. The Aboriginal Memorial commemorates the victory of the tribes that resulted in the defeat of Lt. Col. George A. Custer and 262 soldiers.

Woman and Last Warrior

The National Park Service 1996 National Design Competition resulted in the selection of an overall design for the Aboriginal Memorial and a sculpture concept that included three, generic warriors on horseback in a plains pictographic style. Cutschall recommended an addition to the design concept to include a woman. 

The woman embodies  the humanity and the whole of the tribes that are being defended. The encampments of aboriginal tribes at the Little Bighorn were filled with warriors, women and children. The cavalry soldiers were not accompanied by their wives or small children. The woman is handing up a shield to a warrior wearing a red tail hawk headdress and whom she is fictionally related to, possibly her husband, father, or brother. 

She is a reminder that even the bravest warrior came into this world through a woman. Her moon cycles are recalled in the thirteen conches of her belt. Women would hardly have been indifferent to the events of that day and in the long run were as deeply effected by the plains wars as were the men. 

 Women and children had lost their lives in previous attacks such as the massacre of the Washita that had also been led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer. Stories are still remembered of how women helped fallen warriors in battle. She is aware of her situation and runs to assist the warrior and hand him his equipment. Black Shawl, the wife of Crazy Horse, stood ready with hot meals, fresh horses, and replenished weaponry. After the battle, women actively participated in the ritual killing and blocking of human spirit in it's journey to the afterlife through the mutilation of corpses.

The theme of the Aboriginal Memorial is “Peace Through Unity“. The emblem on the shield is representative of the plains world view that reflects the quartered earth and cosmos. The circle in the center of the shield represents both the nation’s hoop and the source of life and renewal from the sun. In summary, the shield represents both the people and a world view that is being defended. 

The scene is somewhat ambiguous in that the rider is holding a more modern weapon of the time, a rifle, and yet is receiving war equipment associated as an older psychological weapon that provided minimal physical protection. The ambiguity inherent in the scene raises the question of choice among individuals and societies who lack tolerance for one another. 

The reined back horse and reverse position of the rider denote a sober second thought prior to pursuing the heat of battle. The technological contrast between shield and rifle simply points to the increasing efficiency of weapons capable of great injury and enormous capacity for destruction and the role we allow them to play in our history.

First Warrior ~ Central Warrior

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Colleen holding the
center of the shield

Woman being assembled

Last warrior assembled