Northern Cheyenne Push Back Against Trump Administration’s Effort to Alter Little Bighorn History
By Levi Rickert
February 05, 2026
The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council is punching back at the sanitizing of history by the Trump administration that is removing Native American signs, markers, monuments, or exhibits at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
Earlier this week, the Council unanimously passed a resolution that opposes any change to the current language that describes broken promises to Native American tribes and references the loss of Indigenous culture and language caused by federal boarding school systems.
The Trump administration recently announced it had flagged two exhibits at the monument near Crow Agency as noncompliant with a broader effort to reshape certain historical narratives.
The Council cited federal law authorizing the site’s name and Indian Memorial, as well as Montana’s constitutional and statutory commitments to preserving American Indian cultural integrity through education.
The resolution emphasizes the historical importance of educating the public about the 1876 battle, in which Cheyenne and Lakota warriors successfully defended their families and homelands against the U.S. Army. Tribal leaders warned that removing or altering Native American recognition would undermine decades of healing, unity, and progress symbolized by the Indian Memorial.
While firmly opposing any changes, the Tribe also authorized consultation with federal and state officials, including Montana’s congressional delegation, to prevent removals and ensure continued recognition of Native American history at the battlefield.
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