Theme given by Mr. Austin Two Moons, Northern Cheyenne, and Mr. Enos Poor Bear, Oglala Lakota, elders and adopted for use by the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Advisory Committee

30 March 1997

Greetings to everyone. I send along good thoughts and feelings and a hearty handshake. So much has happened so quickly that I must apologize for being so far behind in keeping this newsletter up to date. You are invited to visit other sites within our website for further details.

While January 1997 was important to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Advisory Committee because it was the final timeline for design concept submissions, mother nature also became a factor. Competition officials had to make decisions regarding late mailins from areas of our country that were inundated by swelling floodwaters, ice, sleet, and snow storms, and the effect it had on our nationís postal system. Our daunting mail system was stopped for several days! As the entries came in, Dawn Carey, Chris Jones, and Linda Stoll were busy in Denver receiving the packages and logging them into an inventory book to ensure timeline compliance. At the same time, Dawn was in charge of assigning numbers to the entries and coordinating that aspect which would ensure that the competition remained anonymous. Jurors would know the submissions by number only until they chose the one best representing American Indian participation at the 1876 battle at the Greasy Grass.

The logistics of juring, set for the week of 9-14 February 1997, in Billings, Montanaís Parmly Library, presented many problems. Mr. Rudy Lobato was brought aboard the National Park Service Support Team to refine arrangements made by Mr. Jones for using the library and to coordinate the venue space and procure structures to display the entries. Meanwhile, Chris, Dawn, and Linda repackaged the designs and loaded them onto a van for transportation to Billings. Advisory Committee Jurors, led by Mr. Bob Burley, and composed of Arthur Amiotte, Keven Red Star, Dennis Sun Rhodes, Carold Redcherries, Dick Pohl, Gay Kingman, and Paul Hutton arrived on 9 February for a review of juring procedures. Linda Pease served as an alternate and was in Billings in case her services were needed. Then began the intense work of choosing a winning design. The jurors came to a decision on 14 February 1997 and began composing the Jury Report for presentation to the Advisory Committee for further action. On 15 February the Committee received the report and recessed so that non-jurors could take time to view the selected entries. After this was accomplished, the meeting resumed and the Advisory Committee unanimously accepted the juryís recommendations. On 21 February 1997 I mailed Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt the preliminary Jury Report recommending it for his approval. On 17 February 1997, in the Parmly Library, over 150 people gathered to unveil the winning designs. Drums and singers from the Arapahoe, Crow, and Sioux Nations were there to provide music. Mr. Ben Pease, Crow, gave prayers for the competitors and the food. After the announcement of winners, food and good feelings were shared by all.

Several other events that occurred at the Advisory Committeeís official meeting bear mentioning. Ms. Nina Jaeger from the National Park Foundationís Washington, D.C., office was in attendance to offer her foundationís expertise in fund-raising. Her gracious presentation and optimistic attitude caught the Advisory Committeeís attention and they unanimously endorsed her proposal. For those wanting to make their contribution to this worth cause, please read the address provided below. Also, Mr. Rick Meyer announced that a "Friends of the Little Bighorn" group had recently been formed and he pledged support for the memorial and the park. Anyone desiring further details on the "Friends of the Little Bighorn" can contact Mr. Meyer at:

Indian Memorial Fund
1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 1102
Washington, DC 20250

During the meeting, the National Park Service Support Team announced changes to their Role and Function Statement and a change of personnel. While they will perform some of the duties carrying over from past activities, Mr. Chris Jones and Ms. Dawn Carey were relieved (sunsetted) as members of the Support Team that assisted the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Advisory Committee in its functions. I cannot say enough about these two individuals who gave outstanding service and expertise to the effort. Their duties ranged from making xerxox copies, addressing, sealing, and mailing envelopes, to conceptualizing the Design Competition Package and overseeing the printing and mailing of it. They gave of their time selflessly, working on weekends, vacation days, and far into the night on numerous occasions. Most of all, they earned my respect because of the spirit and empathy they imparted to the design competition, hence, respect to the people we are honoring--those who were at the Greasy Grass in 1876, their descendants--and equally respectful, the competitors who shared their designs with us. Thank you Dawn and Chris for your contributions to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Advisory Committee.

This was my first experience with design juring and I must make note of the difficult task encountered by the Jury and Support Team. When one contemplates the immensity of carefully scrutinizing over 550 design concepts and having to select the one that best represents American Indian participation at the 1876 battle at the Little Bighorn (Greasy Grass), the task begins to come into focus. My mind was boggled when I was first exposed to the displayed designs and I came to realize and appreciate the enormous energy and expertise expended by Jury members. One could feel the very special feelings that grew between jury members; in the juring process they became a team and their demeanor was very evident.

Mr. Bob Burley, the Jury Advisor, also performed admirably. One can never realize the huge responsibility to maintain the integrity of the competition, the jury, and most of all, the competitors, that rested on his expertise. Mr. Burley accepted the responsibility and executed his mission in a superb manner.

One can also never forget the tremendous amount of energy expended by the Support Team to ensure the integrity of the Jury. Food was prepared by Support Team members so that they remained sequestered during the juring process. Also included was the continual moving of designs for Jury perusal. I cannot contemplate all the tasks performed by the Support Team but know that a hearty Thank You is in order for their efforts.

The Advisory Committee and Support Team also pass along thanks to the staff of the Parmly Library. In all respects, of which I am aware, I learned that they remained flexible and ever vigilant to ensure the smooth operation of the juring and showing process.

For all the efforts that transpired during January and February 1997, I want to thank members of the Advisory Committee, the Support Team, and the staff of the Parmly Library in Billings, Montana. With excellent teamwork and patient attention to detail, displayed by all, our task was completed in a commendable manner.

I remain, with respect, in PEACE THROUGH UNITY

March 1997 Announcement
E-mail address: lbruguie@sunflowr.usd.edu
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5 February 1998, lrb