Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Warriors Remembered

This is one of the most amazing veterans' memorials I've ever seen. You'll find it along Interstate 84 in Crow Agency, Montana, within view of the Little Bighorn Battlefield. The statue alone is worth the trip, along with this plaque that tells the legend of the Mystic Warrior. (click on the picutre to read the legend).
The tipis and shields are made of metal. One tipi is constructed of hundreds of metal buffalo, the other is made of horses.
The plaques on the brick wall list the members of the Crow tribe who lost their lives in every conflict on record, beginning with the Battle of the Little Bighorn--also known as Custer's Last Stand. Have you ever visited a veterans' memorial on US soil dedicated to those who fought against the US army? The tributes continue through the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, clear through the current conflict in Iraq. All of the tribes have sent large numbers of their young men and more recently women into combat, the military being one of the most accessible ways to escape the pervasive poverty on the reservations. And because they are warriors.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an amazing tribute. Thank you for sharing it.

Alina Klein said...

Wow, what artistry. Amazing and definitely worth seeing. Next time I'm in Montana I'll try for a visit. Thanks.

Anita said...

Very good post! Unfortunately, clicking on "The Mystic Warrier" plaque picture did not enlarge it in order for me to read it. That has happened to some of my pictures too. Maybe I can find it via Google.
Seeing your pictures make me realize how much of my country that I have not seen.

Kari Lynn Dell said...

I can't figure out why sometimes pictures enlarge to full screen when you click on them and sometimes they don't. If anyone knows the answer, please let me know, so I can be sure it works in the future.