Friends Summer Events June 21-22, 2013 -- 137th Anniversary of the Battle
of the Little Bighorn
by Bob Reece
Lone Soldier Marker in Calhoun
Coulee
Photo by Bob Reece, Taken During
Friends Field Trip
This year, Friends members had an extraordinary weekend of events June 21
and 22, 2013. Our field trip in 2012 started at 6:00 PM with temperatures
hovering around 103 degrees! This year, partly cloudy skies and
temperatures in the 60s welcomed us at the same time.
Superintendent Denice Swanke and her staff made our members feel welcomed
and allowed us the use of the second floor of the administration building
for our command post. Thank you Denice and your staff for all the support
you gave us during the weekend.
NPS Staff, L-R: Chief of Interp Ken Woody,
Supt Denice Swanke, Marvin Dawes, Joshua Little Owl, Student Conservation Association (SCA)
intern Fleming Garner, Steve Adelson, Jerry Jasmer, Chief of Cultural &
Natural Resources Chris Ziegler, Karl Mattlage, Michael Donahue, Frances
Takes Enemy. Not present is Ranger Rachel Vegors
Members arrived first thing Friday morning to register and pick up name
badges. A big thank you for Den Mother Joanne Blair, who stocked the
command post with snacks and water and kept me moving to the next place!
L-R: Den Mother Joanne Blair,
Friends Secretary Lola Mauer, LIBI Supt Denice Swanke while on the Doug
Scott field trip
Jump here for more photos of volunteers
Treasurer Kay Hunsaker came with new vests for our volunteers to wear
while interpreting along the trails. They were green with reflective tape
and plastic pockets on the front and rear, which Kay filled with the
volunteer's name, the Friends name, and our logo. The vests were a conduit
and icebreaker making the volunteer look official (well, we are) and
announcing to the visitors that it is just fine to approach this person
and ask questions. Not that the volunteers don’t like that! They kept
busy. Most of the day, we had two or three volunteers posted on Last Stand
Hill, while others kept the Deep Ravine and Keogh/Crazy Horse Trails
manned. Additionally, we had volunteers at Reno-Benteen Battlefield. The
vests are reusable, so we will save money not having to replenish them
every season. Thank you volunteers for all of your hard – but fun! – work.
Friends board member, Ryan
Trainor, models the vest at Last Stand Hill
Jump here for more photos of volunteers
Saturday evening, we held our annual general membership meeting and
Friends Feast to thank the volunteers and membership. Usually we hold it
behind the administration building, but this year we were rained out. We
moved everyone upstairs to the command post where Julie Elkshoulder and
her staff served us at the table. Talk about service! Thank you Julie.
After dinner, I gave the membership an update of Friends news. There was
great applause when they learned that since 2004, Friends has donated over
more than $54,000 towards projects at LIBI. Denice Swanke also gave an
update regarding battlefield news.
I also wish to thank Denice for allowing Kay and Friends board member Lola
Mauer to manage the Friends table, which was placed in front of the
visitor center. Kay made a great banner so visitors felt welcome to
approach and learn about Friends. Kay and Lola struck gold and garnered
about one dozen new members, plus many renewals from our members in
attendance. Looking at the photos of Kay and Lola is proof of how much fun
they had. Besides the command post, the Friends table was also a fantastic
location for members to congregate and visit with each other and the NPS
staff. I think all of the staff stopped by multiple times over the
weekend. It was a blast! Thank you Kay and Lola for doing such a great
job!
Friends board members Kay
Hunsaker and Lola Mauer at the Friends table
Jump here for more photos of volunteers
It was at our table that we had Doug Scott sign copies of his new
book, Uncovering History
for the public Saturday afternoon. It was a good
turnout with about 30 copies sold.
Doug Scott signs a copy of
Uncovering History for a couple visiting from Manchester, England.
Jump here for more photos
from
Scott's book signing
Denice also allowed us the use of one of the gem carts to transport our
volunteers to the head of the Keogh/Crazy Horse Trail. This battery
powered roadster came in handy when having to rush out there to bring
volunteers in from the Montana thunderstorms, which can be quite powerful.
Considering that a person standing on the battlefield is the tallest
object around, one does not want to be caught in such electrical storms.
Kay and Lola heading out in a
LIBI gem cart.
Jump here for more photos from the anniversary weekend
The highlight of the weekend was our June 21st annual fundraiser field
trip, "Whatever Happened to Trooper Mike and other Mysteries of Custer's
Last Stand" an archaeological walk led by Doug Scott. I cannot
thank Doug enough for leading the walk, which ensured the fundraiser was a
success.
To start the field trip on time, we shuttled 50 plus people from the
visitor center to the cattle guard below Calhoun Hill. I'd like to thank
Rick Martin, Mike Donahue, Park Ranger Joshua Little Owl, and Friends board member Mike Semenock for
driving walkers to our starting point. Attending our walk were Denice
Swanke, Chief of Cultural and Natural Resources Chris Ziegler, and Park
Ranger Mike Donahue. It was Denice's first chance to get onto that part of
the battlefield.
Like all our previous field trips, we explored the battlefield off-trail
in the Greasy Grass Ridge, Calhoun Coulee, and Deep Ravine areas. Scott's
presentation during the walk was exceptional. Scott has led all the
archaeological surveys at the battlefield since 1984, and is considered an
expert on this battle; he understands how to present the events in all
their glory.
We walk down into Calhoun Coulee
Jump here for
photos from our field trip
Scott concealed us behind Greasy Grass Ridge to begin the walk. As he led
us up to and over its crest, we saw before us the wide panoramic view of
Battle Ridge from Calhoun Hill to Last Stand Hill. In between was a land
fractured by wide coulees and ravines, which once provided access for the
warriors to move in close for the attack. This field trip provided an
opportunity to not only view the battlefield from the Indian perspective,
but to rethink ideas. Whenever I picture Friends field trips, this is the
experience that I hope to provide our members.
You might be asking how you can attend future Friends field trips.
Friends' members first learn about the walks when we announce them in our
newsletters. Because we are limited to just 50 people, we give our members
the first chance to register by sending in the registration form found in
the newsletter. If you're not a member, then it would be in your best
interest to join now to ensure you don't miss any future announcements.
Just jump here to join online.
It was another great anniversary weekend for everyone; we all got to see
old friends and make new ones. Here's hoping you can make it next year,
June 27-28, 2014.
I'll see you on Last Stand Hill.
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