Aboriginal Memorial Site, Spirit Warriors Monument, Sister Wolf

Update: Aboriginal Memorial site installed

The diorama illustrates the plan for the new aboriginal memorial to be installed at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The diorama was created by John and Allison Collins, winners of the 1996 National Design competition.

The earthwork is located to the west, northwest of the 7^th Cavalry monument. A metaphorical gateway with two large timber flag poles mark the entry to the earthwork. The circular earthwork is open to the sky. There are two stone lined, serpentine walkways for visitors to enter the inner circle.

The bronze sculpture of the Spirit Warriors is situated on the west side of the circle and will not be visible from outside of the earthwork. The inner walls of the circle will be faced with a dark gray granite.

These walls are reserved for the tribes involved in the battle to inscribe the names of participants, words or images of their choice that they want remembered or acknowledged. To date, no tribe has offered their inscriptions to be included on these walls. Funds are set aside in the congressional appropriation to carry out these requests. Interested tribes should submit their concepts to Darrel Cook, Superintendent at the Little Bighorn National Monument.

The design incorporates a visual dialogue between the aboriginal monument and the 7^th Cavalry monument. On the east, southeast side of the earthwork is a narrow metaphorical gateway. Extending from this gateway towards the older white monument, will be a cut in the earth, a symbol of the wound that this battle created between cultures. From the interior of the earthwork, this gateway looks toward the older marble monument of the soldier’s mass grave. The gateway is framed by the large granite walls of the enclosure.

The metaphorical gateway corridor is lined with stones over which water will trickle creating a weeping wall, for all to remember the humanity and culture that was lost long ago. The aboriginal memorial is a step towards healing, retribution, and making “Peace Through Unity“.

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Diorama of the site
Diorama - entire site

View of Custer Monument from the inside of the new Aboriginal Monument - larger image
The weeping wall

Future Position
of the sculpture

Website Design and Photos by G. Beaupre

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