Battle of the Little Bighorn 150th Anniversary

Above, markers dot Last Stand Hill at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today began the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana.

The battle took place on June 25-26, 1876.

Above, the 7th U.S. Cavalry Monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From Wikipedia:

The 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand and known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. It took place on June 25–26, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana Territory. The battle, which resulted in the defeat of U.S. forces, was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

Above, the Reno-Benteen Defense Site monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last summer, a friend and I took a driving tour of the battlefield. We found the now National Monument near Crow Agency to be interesting as much of the terrain looked as it did in 1876. A new visitor center was under construction during our visit. 

The battle was seen as a major victory of the Indian tribes and a massacre of the United States Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment. 

Above, the Reno-Benteen battlefield. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From KTVQ:

CROW AGENCY — License plates from across the country filled parking lots and lined roads leading into Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on Thursday as thousands of visitors gathered to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Traffic stretched bumper to bumper as visitors continued arriving for the first day of a three-day commemoration. The event, hosted by the National Park Service in partnership with Tribal nations and other organizations, brought together descendants, historians, veterans, reenactors, and families to reflect on one of the most significant battles in American history.

Above, Last Stand Hill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more about the commemoration, go here. 

Yellowstone's Historic Mammoth Hotel Undergoing Restoration

Above, the Mammoth Hotel in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yellowstone National Park's historic Mammoth Hotel (near Mammoth Hot Springs) is undergoing restoration.

According to KTVQ:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - The iconic Mammoth Hotel was built in the 1930s - a time before modern seismic requirements. 

This summer, Yellowstone National Park began a restoration project at the hotel with Phase One completed this fall. 

“We added just about 2,000-square feet of function space, three rooms,” said Michael Keller, general manager of Yellowstone National Park Lodges. “One room can be one large room or broken into two smaller rooms, and then we have a separate boardroom that goes with that. And now we're able to actually do meals, catered events, etc. - the full function services.” 

“There's a lot of steel beams that are hidden inside columns and across other beams that are wrapped in wood so you would never tell they're there but they're there,” said Peter Galindo, park engineer. “This hotel should be good for at least another 100 years." 

Keeping the historic features of Mammoth Hotel was key, right down to the addition of a permanent vestibule and space for the gift shop.

To read more, go here. 

Tribes Seek Name Changes In Yellowstone National Park

Above, one of several Yellowstone valleys. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A call has been made by Indian tribes to have two locations in Yellowstone National Park renamed. They claim that persons that these locations are named after committed atrocities against Indians.

According to KTVQ:

GARDINER - Tribes want to see the names changed of two locations in Yellowstone National Park. 

Tribal members rallied Saturday in Gardiner to call for the name replacement of Mount Doane and Hayden Valley. 

“I was the first and last man in the Piikani camp, January 23, 1870. The greatest slaughter of Indians ever made by U.S. troops.” 

That’s Chief Stan Grier of the Blackfoot Confederacy quoting Lieutenant Gustavus C. Doane, who was present at the murder of 173 Native Americans near the Marias River in January 1870. 

The tribes would like to see Mount Doane changed to the First Peoples Mountain. 

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone Bison 'Butts' Couple, Causing Injuries

Above, a relaxing Yellowstone bison. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following is a good example of the need to be alert when near wild animals in a national park.

KTVQ Billings News reported:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -A married couple suffered injuries after being "butted" by a bison at Mud Volcano, just north of Lake Village in Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday, according to a press release. 

Theodore Schrader, 74, and Patsy Holmes, 72, from Heber City, Utah were taking photographs on a boardwalk at Mud Volanco when a bison approached them. 

The bison butted Holmes who then fell into Schrader and both fell to the ground.

Above, a mud pot volcano. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The two suffered only minor injuries and are stable. They are lucky that the bison didn't butt them into the mud volcano.

To read more, go here. 

Female Employees Mistreated At Several National Parks

Above, the Yellowstone River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe how some people working in such beautiful surroundings are willing to engage in conduct that jeopardizes their careers and sullies the reputations of their profession.

In one instance, a park ranger is alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment with a female subordinate at Yellowstone National Park among other things. And this kind of behavior is not just confined to Yellowstone.

According to KTVQ.com:

BILLINGS - An investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct at Yellowstone National Park revealed evidence of what some park employees called a “men’s club” environment that tolerated unwelcome and inappropriate behavior toward female employees. 

The report was published Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General. 

The investigation began in September of 2016 when an employee alleged male supervisors and staff in the Maintenance Division unit permitted a culture of gender bias, sexual harassment, and financial misconduct. 

The employee alleged that the misconduct occurred from 2011 to 2015 and included groping of female employees. 

The investigation at YNP is part of a department-wide investigation involving several parks in the U.S. National Park Service. 

A full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in September to discuss the widespread allegations of mistreatment of female employees at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon National Park and Canaveral National Seashore. 

A female employee at Yosemite National Park described a time where she was spied on by a male park ranger while she was showering at the park. 

The woman said she reported the incident to her supervisor, who sat the woman down with the male park ranger for an apology. 

She said no further disciplinary action was taken against the park ranger,

If more of these kinds of incidents happen, there's goes the wholesome image of "Ranger Rick" up in smoke before the general public.

To read more, go here.