The Battle of the Greasy Grass
Jul. 1st, 2016 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithJune 25 marked the 140th anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass, aka the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
I've long held a fascination for this one, and it got me kicked out of history class more than once -- one of those for bringing in personally collected photographic evidence that book and teacher were both wrong about a strategically relevant point of topography. I mean really, that battleground has been mapped and modeled over every inch, you'd think people would be more careful. There are whole shelves full of books about it, and I read a lot of them. We had to do some serious hunting to find the ones written by Lakota authors, but they exist.
When I was in junior high, we made a couple of long summer trips out west. One of the stops was the Little Bighorn, and we didn't realize it until we got there, but it was the anniversary of the battle. It was an uncommonly cool, damp, foggy day for the middle of summer in the middle of the plains. A low mist blanketed everything, stirring and stirring in the breeze. Everyone else was huddled in the visitor's center, because apparently, this had a habit of happening and the ghosts would get restless, particularly around the anniversary. Naturally this made us want to go out and hike around the site, since it wasn't broiling and wasn't crowded. The staff all looked at us like we were crazy. Well, we have houseghosts and some complicated distant connections to the folks on the Pine Ridge Reservation, so we were not deterred. It was very exciting to see the battlefield up close and take pictures of the important places. We saw a few of the ghosts, eddies in the mist, wisps of color seen through the corner of the eye. They never bothered us. Most of it was just sounds, whispers and hoof-thumps and such. History, resurfacing occasionally to remind people that what is gone should not be forgotten.
Never forget.
I've long held a fascination for this one, and it got me kicked out of history class more than once -- one of those for bringing in personally collected photographic evidence that book and teacher were both wrong about a strategically relevant point of topography. I mean really, that battleground has been mapped and modeled over every inch, you'd think people would be more careful. There are whole shelves full of books about it, and I read a lot of them. We had to do some serious hunting to find the ones written by Lakota authors, but they exist.
When I was in junior high, we made a couple of long summer trips out west. One of the stops was the Little Bighorn, and we didn't realize it until we got there, but it was the anniversary of the battle. It was an uncommonly cool, damp, foggy day for the middle of summer in the middle of the plains. A low mist blanketed everything, stirring and stirring in the breeze. Everyone else was huddled in the visitor's center, because apparently, this had a habit of happening and the ghosts would get restless, particularly around the anniversary. Naturally this made us want to go out and hike around the site, since it wasn't broiling and wasn't crowded. The staff all looked at us like we were crazy. Well, we have houseghosts and some complicated distant connections to the folks on the Pine Ridge Reservation, so we were not deterred. It was very exciting to see the battlefield up close and take pictures of the important places. We saw a few of the ghosts, eddies in the mist, wisps of color seen through the corner of the eye. They never bothered us. Most of it was just sounds, whispers and hoof-thumps and such. History, resurfacing occasionally to remind people that what is gone should not be forgotten.
Never forget.
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(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-02 08:52 am (UTC)The memorial's in the wrong place!
O_O
Date: 2016-07-02 09:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-02 09:04 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2016-07-02 09:52 am (UTC)Re: Thank you!
Date: 2016-07-11 01:58 am (UTC)Erasure and factual inaccuracies in the service of propaganda, even propaganda one by and large agrees with, leads to unnecessary division and polarization of opinions and position. Which does not benefit anyone not already at the top of the heap.
The one advantage of factual errors (as opposed to errors in judgment or differing values) is that they can be corrected with the application of facts. But that doesn't repair the damage done; there's a difference between stating the truth and having it believed, spread, internalized, acted on, and/or rewarded.
"Speak up if one is affected, take a deep breath and listen to others, ask questions if encouraged, think, know one's own limits, do something rather than nothing" seems to me generally beneficial advice when faced with difficult situations. But somewhere in there, there has to be room made for "you've got that wrong" and "I can cite umpteen sources stating something different than what you said regardless of whether that is what you meant to say" and "stop hurting me" and "I know you are hurting and I sympathize but nonetheless STOP HURTING ME."
"A lie can run around the world before the truth has got its boots on." Even and most sadly a well-meaning lie.
Intersectionality is supposed to be about correcting for some of this. Not just being multiply-whatever on the (rare) occasions it is convenient. But it's more basic than an articulated philosophy. It comes down to seeing that someone is in pain and acting rather than walking away.
There is so much pain out there right now. I hesitate to add to it. But one surefire way of adding to it is ignoring the more vulnerable and/or marginalized members of a group. Like, say, the Native American members of the LGBTQIA+ or Latinx communities. Or Muslim queers, or black police officers, or trans women of color, or disabled women who have been violently attacked, to name a few groups I have noticed being abused and/or erased in the media just this summer. I want to listen to you because that's worth doing, and because I think that if I want to live in a world where I am listened to, I should do that for other people.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2016-07-11 08:52 am (UTC)This is true.
>>The one advantage of factual errors (as opposed to errors in judgment or differing values) is that they can be corrected with the application of facts. But that doesn't repair the damage done; there's a difference between stating the truth and having it believed, spread, internalized, acted on, and/or rewarded.<<
The problem is that there's no path that doesn't cause damage. Ignore the misrepresentation and people believe lies. Correct it, and that sounds like trying to one-up someone's pain. *ponder* Which makes me wonder if bigots have set up that situation deliberately.
>>"A lie can run around the world before the truth has got its boots on." Even and most sadly a well-meaning lie.<<
Yyyyyeah. 0_o
>>There is so much pain out there right now. I hesitate to add to it. But one surefire way of adding to it is ignoring the more vulnerable and/or marginalized members of a group. Like, say, the Native American members of the LGBTQIA+ or Latinx communities. <<
Too true. It's hard on the two-spirits because their history teaches them that they are holy people, but the surrounding culture is very homophobic.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2016-07-11 03:43 pm (UTC)Certainly possible.
But not necessary. One thing about bigotry and other unhealthful exercises of power is that they make possible entirely unconscious conspiracies to shut people up, by aligning the individual actions of all the little meme-carriers to one effect without any need for a general call to action.
Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-03 02:47 am (UTC)This is not a complaint, mind you. I like learning and I long ago realized just how inadequate my history classes have been. And been working on making up for that lack by reading more books, trying to hunt down both sides of the story but it's a never ending process.
But as I said I like learning so that part is a bonus.
You said there were books from the Lakota on this subject, can I have the titles and authors' names?
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-03 03:17 am (UTC)Battles often have at least two names -- the sides tend to name them differently, especially if they don't speak the same language.
You said there were books from the Lakota on this subject, can I have the titles and authors' names?
https://www.amazon.com/Day-World-Ended-Little-Bighorn/dp/0143113690
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Crazy-Horse-Lakota-History/dp/0143036211/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51mJsXfB1gL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR206%2C320_&psc=1&refRID=6XD7HG70BSXFRA86YW58
https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Custer-Battle-Little-Indians/dp/0140251766
Some of my favorites by outside authors:
https://www.amazon.com/Son-Morning-Star-Custer-Bighorn/dp/0865475105
https://www.amazon.com/Custers-Fall-Native-American-Meridian/dp/0452010950
https://www.amazon.com/Boots-Saddles-Dakota-General-Custer/dp/1505384680
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hills-White-Justice-Present/dp/0803279876
Further reading:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/further-reading/custer-further-reading/
I couldn't find everything online, tribal books often don't get listed, and I'm not great at remembering titles off the top of my head. But if you go to a pow wow or a tribal store, they usually have a bookcase of books you won't easily find elsewhere. This is one of the biggest events in Native American history, so if you hunt around, you can find stuff about it. And the visitor center had plenty of books when we were there.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-03 03:01 pm (UTC)I saved the info and will add those titles to my find-a-book list.
And thanks for the tip about tribal stores and pow wow.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-03 06:11 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-03 07:44 pm (UTC)That sucks. :(
There is still a tribal store within daytrip distance, though -- which is basically like the shopping part of a pow wow with a roof over it.
That's good.
Looking into seeing what is available within day-trip distance to start with.
Through according to their website, the Seminole Nation has a museum. Unfortunately that's down near Miami, which is more than day-trip distance from where I live in Florida. So that one will have to wait.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-04 03:07 am (UTC)There are museum guides too, usually organized by tribe or state.
Ideally, hunt around for tribal pages and you can find a whole lot of resources to explore.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-04 12:40 pm (UTC)Thanks. Will do.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-02 06:10 am (UTC)I didn't get kicked out, just ignored, for bringing in a stack of magazines that were evidence that the NTSB, not the FAA, investigated air traffic accidents... contrary to what the teacher said.
but you... you got a ghost story.
I'll... probably not try this one. I don't have a proper connection...
but still. Very cool.
Yes...
Date: 2016-07-02 06:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-02 05:54 pm (UTC)That reminds me that I need to find out what's available around here to go and see...
(We'll be day-tripping this summer rather than go off for an extended vacation.)
I also got in trouble for fussing about yet another year of white-washed history in school. After that, I took all the rest of my HS history classes during the summers.
:^)
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-04 01:07 pm (UTC)If I do, I'll ask about ghosts and take some quiet time to see if any come along.
Question: No matter their reason for "being stuck" or "staying on this plane" or however it should be phrased, do you get the feeling from them that they'd be happier moving onward?
Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-04 09:25 pm (UTC)Cool.
>> If I do, I'll ask about ghosts and take some quiet time to see if any come along. <<
That's a good idea.
>> Question: No matter their reason for "being stuck" or "staying on this plane" or however it should be phrased, do you get the feeling from them that they'd be happier moving onward? <<
That can happen. I find it most often in funeral parlors. I go there and it's just always a working trip. All aboard who's coming aboard!
However, some ghosts choose to stay where they are. Our houseghosts are like this. This is their home; they didn't see any reason to leave it when they died.
It's easy for battlefields to fill up with ghosts, many of them angry and traumatized. But that's not the sense I got at the Greasy Grass. Not to say they wouldn't take a swipe at rude white people, but most of them were content to be where they were. If we'd run across any that wanted to be elsewhere, we'd have given them a hand.
Also worth mentioning is that some things classed as ghosts are actually echoes. They're not personalized spirits, but rather energy impressions anchored to a spot where something happened -- kind of like how a bright light can leave an afterimage in your eyes, or leaving your computer on the same image too long can frost it onto the screen (hence screensavers). If you step on or near the spot, the image 'plays' and you can sometimes even see it looping just like a tape or a GIF will. These make up a substantial amount of battlefield "ghosts" and we saw those too.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-17 05:26 pm (UTC)>> classed as ghosts are actually echoes.
>> They're not personalized spirits, but
>> rather energy impressions anchored to a
>> spot where something happened
This is a new one for me, but I think MANY of the paranormal things that get called "ghosts" might be exactly this. One video of a "ghost" was just a particular spot that got got brighter and brighter only in a camera view -- that seemed less like a person and more like an excited spot. Or cases in which people have a vision and then have it again another time. Those seem like a replaying memory to me.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2016-07-17 09:27 pm (UTC)http://www.freewebs.com/faeden/ghostsandspirits.htm