I am pleased to be here today on behalf of President Bush.

As you look around this battlefield there are white headstones that mark in many cases the exact spot a uniformed U.S. soldier fell in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Since 1881, there has been a monument to General Custer and his cavalry.

Consecrated in that same ground is the blood of Native Americans-the Great Sioux Nation, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho-and the scouting Tribes of Crow and Arikara. Yet for 127 years no monument or obelisk marked their loss of life.

We are here today to change that. We join together to seek 'peace through unity'.

One man who saw the Battle of the Little Bighorn was Black Elk, a spiritual leader of the Oglala Sioux. He was a 13-year-old boy on the day of the battle. Black Elk often spoke of peace - the peace within the soul of each of us in discovering our relationship with the universe.
The second peace is that which is forged between two individuals. The third - the peace made between two nations.

Black Elk said these words: "Above all, you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace…is within the souls of men."

Of course, we cannot reclaim or change the past. The wrongs, the battles and the broken promises remain as they are written into history. Yet we are able to take another step together in seeking the peace that Black Elk spoke of so many decades ago.

At this inspiring place, 127 years ago, two divergent cultures clashed in a life or death struggle. Many died. A battle was won.

The essential irony of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is that the victors who defeated Custer and his 7th Cavalry would soon lose their own traditional way of life.

Two years ago today, there was a ceremony for the 125th anniversary of the battle. Ken Custer, a descendant of George Armstrong Custer attended the event, complete with his look-alike Custer mustache.

He then went to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation where he met Clarence "Bisco" Spotted Wolf, the 75-year-old Chief of the Northern Cheyenne Council and grandson of Spotted Wolf. Spotted Wolf fought at Little Bighorn. Because of his valor and deeds, he was made a chief in victory ceremonies the day after the Battle.

The two descendants of combatants shook hands and spent the day together, telling stories, hiking and visiting historic sites. By confronting our past and looking toward the future we are healing wounds.

Today's dedication reminds me of a story I once heard about President Abraham Lincoln. At the end of the Civil War, Northerners were jubilant. The Union Army was victorious. People poured out into the streets, and there were big celebrations everywhere.

President Lincoln attended one of these celebrations. A military band played patriotic songs. The audience-finally tasking joy after four long years of war-enthusiastically cheered the President.

In that triumphant gathering, the band leader asked President Lincoln what song he should play next. The President paused for quite a few moments, and the crowd grew quiet to hear his choice. Finally he said, "Play Dixie."

In those two words, the President brought home the realization that we are one nation. When we fight among ourselves, we must respect all our countrymen. When the fighting stops, we should bind our wounds and go forward together.

The battle we commemorate today was more recent. The conflict extended for a far longer time. The wounds were immensely deep. This nation went for far too many years without hearing the equivalent of Lincoln's healing words, "Play Dixie."

Today's ceremony finally lets healing songs begin in this place. Today we recognize that we are one nation. The descendants of all who fought here-on both sides-are Americans.

We all share one history, that is woven together like a fabric. Many different threads of history-varying perspectives-traditions and understanding known to some but not others-strong opinions of who was her and who was villain-all come together in the fabric of today's America.

We are a nation where today tribal sovereignty is recognized and respected. Our shared history shows countless Native Americans who have contributed to the protections of the freedoms of all Americans-from the Navajo code talkers, to the many tribes who stepped forward to volunteer assistance after the September 11th tragedies, to Laurie Piestawa, the Native American woman killed in combat in Iraq.

This Little Bighorn effort to heal wounds was made possible by legislation. Some of the current and former Members of Congress had a significant role in making this memorial come to life.

Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado and former U.S. Representative Ron Marlenee of Montana were the original sponsors of legislation that authorized the creation of this memorial. Former Representative Pat Williams of Montana was instrumental in its sponsorship and final passage.

Senators Max Baucus and Conrad Burns and Representative Dennis Rehberg also deserve our thanks for their hard work in pursuing the funding to finally build this memorial.

This effort started under the first Bush administration and the money was appropriated under the current President Bush. In the intervening years, there has been time for deliberation and contemplation of the best form for a memorial.

The memorial is a very fitting design, blending naturally with the surrounding landscape. The figures on horseback admirably represent the spirit of the Indian warriors.

Children of all cultures will now come to this battlefield and understand the inevitable and tragic clash of cultures that signaled the end of an era. Visitors to this place will be able to find the spots where both soldiers and Indian warriors fought and died-and they will honor both.

As I travel through Indian country and meet with tribal leaders and people, I am reminded that the way of life for many Indian cultures is centered on the concept of 'seven generations.' That is to say that the decisions today are always considered by the impact they will have on the 7th generation to come.

For a moment, let me turn our attention from the past to the future. Much of the work now underway at the Department of the Interior is meant to improve the lives of Indian children today and the generations to come.

One important way to meet the hopes and dreams for future generations in Indian Country is to make sure children are prepared with an excellent education. Education is important to the President, and he is committed to leaving no child behind.

Education is also a special passion for Acting Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Aurene Martin. She has been working to improve accountability and assessment as tools to increase performance and achievement. Because children can learn best in a safe and comfortable environment, we have been working with tribes to build six or seven new schools every year, and repair many others.

In looking to the future, we have also been working with tribes to promote economic growth and prosperity. I was very impressed by the enthusiasm of the participants at our Economic Development summit last September. It brought private companies and Indian entrepreneurs together, to learn from success. We expect in the future to work with tribal leaders to strengthen the tribal institutions that form a basis for economic success.

There are a number of different pathways toward success. We have been working with Senator Campbell and others to facilitate exploring untapped and overlooked Indian-owned energy resources. We also see new economic potential in stewardship contracting, where tribes can help minimize forest fire dangers on federal lands while building forest product enterprises.

The Department is also working to promote economic development in Indian country along the route of the Lewis and Clark trail.

On behalf of the Department of the Interior, former Little Bighorn National Monument superintendent Gerard Baker is working with Tribes to ensure their full participation in the Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemoration. We want tourists from all over the world to get a respectful view of Indian culture. We are also encouraging tribes to become active participants in the growing economy of heritage tourism in the West.

With a good education in safe schools and with the opportunity for better economic development and jobs, children in Indian country will have the chance to go into the future with confidence.

Today, we dedicate this memorial as an act of peace and unity. Northern Cheyenne elder Austin Two Moons and Enos Poor Bear, Sr. an Oglala Lakota Elder, came up with the theme of peace through unity for this dedication. Poor Bear said, "If this memorial is to serve its total purpose, it must not only be a tribute to the dead; it must contain a message for the living…power through unity…"

Today we unite the spirits of the past. I ask that you also join me in a commitment to future generations. Thank you.