TESTIMONY BY CONGRESSMAN BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL H.R.4660, A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDIAN MEMORIAL AT CUSTER BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT TO HONOR THE INDIANS WHO FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Tuesday, September 4, 1990.

Today's hearing is very special. As American scholars re-examine our country's history of the Westward expansion and manifest destiny, it is timely that a small acknowledgement be made by the federal government, via the National Park Service (NPS), at the Custer National battlefield regarding the Indians in that significant battle.

As a prime cosponsor of H. R. 4660 and as a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, I have been personally involved in the drafting of this legislation. My involvement came about at the invitation of the NPS last year when my office participated in a plenary meeting in Billings, Montana, in May, 1989. At that time, "Peace thru Unity," was chosen by the ad-hoc group assembled as the theme for this memorial monument. I hope that says something about the integrity and intent of this memorial and about the type of memorial that someday will be installed at the battlefield.

While some may criticize the legislation for being simply a symbolic gesture, I wish to comment briefly on the importance of symbols. The old adage, a picture paints a thousand words, could easily be adapted for monuments as well. Just look around the federal city of Washington, D. C., for instance. When I stand at the foot of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial, or see the Washington Monument, I am reminded not only of these great statesmen, but of the ideals they symbolize.

Who has not been touched when visiting the Viet Nam Veterans Wall? That wall of simple stone and engraved names has done more to heal old wounds, create pride and reconcile many of our Viet Nam Veterans. There is power and importance in symbols, and I see the possibility of the memorial having a similar effect on Indian people.

There is nothing at the Custer Battlefield that specifically acknowledges the Indian perspective and the Indian lives that were lost. Many Indian people feel offended when visiting the Battlefield. An analogous situation might be if there were nothing recognizing the Union soldiers who died at the Gettysburg Battlefield. The Indian Wars of the late 1880s were an extremely dark time in America's history. Indian people were fighting for their lives, their families, their livelihood and most importantly, for the culture.

While the Indians were victorious at the Little Big Horn, they were, in the long-run, on the losing end of the larger battle to maintain their distinct way of life. We can all sympathize with that sort of a perspective today, I think, and understand why they fought the way they did. While much of our Indian culture is still intact, I wish we could regain some of the lost traditions, and for that matter, freedoms.

So while the lack of a memorial acknowledging Indians has been offensive to some Indians, it has not been without its irony. How many other battlefields are named after the losers, instead of the victors? Perhaps the Custer Battlefield might be more appropriately called the Little Big Horn Battlefield, denoting instead the geographic location of the battlefield, more similarly to battlefields like Gettysburg, Yorktown, and Iwo Jima, to name a few. I offer that as a suggestion for an amendment at the appropriate time.

I whole-heartedly endorse the bill and with to express my thanks to Chairman Vento and renew my pledge to assist in seeing this Indian memorial become a reality.

Thank you again.