Date: 1876

 

Description: This handmade arrow is tipped with a stone arrowhead and likely comes from the Lakota (Teton Sioux) or the Cheyenne. It is one of a set of 24 arrows that were brought to the museum because, allegedly, they came from the battlefield of the Little Bighorn. As white settlers encroached onto Native land in the mid-19th century, tensions and hostilities erupted between the two groups. These tensions erupted into the Great Sioux War when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, a sacred area to both the Lakota and the Cheyenne. The United States military became involved to try and force the tribes to stay on the reservation land. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was a major victory for the Native Americans. The Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes banded together and defeated a battalion of 700 men led by General George Armstrong Custer. It is one of the most controversial and studied battles in the history of the Midwest.

 

Donor: Lauree Inman-Johnson

 

On display