Honoring the Battle of Greasy Grass

Presentation by historian Donovan Sprague

CRAZY HORSE, S.D. — Crazy Horse Memorial® will host a special program on June 20 honoring the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass, bringing together community members, visitors and historians for an evening of reflection on one of the most significant victories in Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho history.

The event features Lakota historian and author Donovin Sprague, who will lead a reception, book signing, presentation and audience discussion. The program is part of a broader regional observance marking 150 years since the June 25–26, 1876 battle, known to the U.S. military as the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Sprague, a Minnicoujou Lakota and enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is widely regarded as one of the Plains’ most respected Indigenous historians. He has written more than a dozen books on Lakota, Dakota and Cheyenne history, including volumes in the Images of America series, and has taught Native American studies at Black Hills State University, Sheridan College and other institutions.

His work often centers on family histories, treaty-era leadership, and the survival of Plains nations through warfare, removal and federal assimilation policies.

Sprague is also a direct descendant of High Backbone (Hump) and Crazy Horse, a lineage that informs his scholarship and public presentations. He has spoken at national commemorations, tribal history conferences and museum programs across the region, and he recently participated in the opening of tribally-acquired land at the southern end of the Little Bighorn battlefield.

Saturday’s program at Crazy Horse Memorial® will explore the events leading up to the 1876 battle, the alliances among Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors, and the long-term significance of the victory over Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh Cavalry. Organizers say the evening is intended not only as a historical reflection but as a recognition of the families whose ancestors fought in the battle and preserved its stories for generations.

The event begins with a reception and book signing, followed by Sprague’s presentation and a public Q&A. It is part of a series of regional gatherings leading up to the official 150th anniversary dates later in June.

The post Honoring the Battle of Greasy Grass first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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