Hundreds of horse riders have arrived at the All Nations camp on the Crow reservation in Montana to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
About 200 riders came in on horseback for the 37th annual Little Bighorn Ride on Tuesday, traveling on Highway 212 past the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
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Joshua Dini, from the Paiute Tribe in Nevada, helped lead a group from Greengrass, South Dakota — roughly 300 miles on horseback.
"We're here as one, now as a family," said Dini. "But it's been a, you know, a learning experience for me to, to ride as a big group."
The journey tested both riders and horses.
"It's been tough on riders too," Dini said. "We need our rest as well and it takes endurance. It takes energy. And we've got to make sure that we're healthy as well."
The horses were given rest and replaced by others on the trip.
"We had some wild, wild horses that were breaking before this ride, and so it was pretty good," said Rising Son, a Lakota tribal member. "They lasted all the way up. Now they're broke."
The riders represent different tribes from outside Montana.
While the groups are traveling together now, 150 years ago, it was Crow warriors who served as scouts for General George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry, fighting against other tribes.
This week, those tribes have come together for a commemoration and a celebration.
"It's more of a symbol of, remembering our ancestors and remembering how hard they fought," said Quentin White Mountain, a Standing Rock Sioux tribal member.
The camp sits on land that was actually part of the battle.
"The land like this is where I was born and raised," said Barry Real Bird, Crow tribal member and All Nations camp host. "Everything I learned is from here, about horsemanship, respect of people, my traditions, my culture, my language."
"And this victory just shows how we came together at one time, you know, and we, we beat the government," Dini said.
On Thursday, the riders will leave the camp and head to the battlefield monument in a ceremonial and deeply symbolic act for all who attend.
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