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Collectionincludes123,000historicalarchiveitemsLittleBighornBattlefieldartifactsheadedforArizonaStoryByEDKEMMICKPhotosByJameswoodcockOfTheGazetteStaff|Posted:Tuesday,March29,20114:00pmTheLittleBighornBattlefieldNationalMonument'spricelessarchivesandmuseumcollection,whichincludesLt.
Col.
GeorgeA.
Custer'suniformsandSittingBull'sarrows,willbetemporarilyrelocatedtoaNationalParkServicecenterinArizona.
BattlefieldSuperintendentKateHammondannouncedthewidelyanticipatedmoveTuesday,sayingshehopedthemovewouldbecompletedbytheendofsummer.
Inapreparedstatement,Hammondsaidmonumentofficials"decidedtomovetheLittleBighorncollectionbecauseofthepotentialforirreversibledeteriorationofitemsorcatastrophiclossbyfireorfloodinitspresent,substandardlocation—thebasementofthepark'ssmallandoutdatedvisitorcenter.
"Thecollectionincludesmorethan123,000historicalarchivesandsome26,000historicobjects.
About30,000LittleBighornarchivalitemsarealreadyattheWesternArchaeologicalandConservationCenterinTucson,Ariz.
,forconservationwork,catalogingandconversiontodigitalformat.
"Thisisgreatnewsforsuchasignificantandirreplaceablecollection,"Hammondsaidintherelease.
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Thistemporaryrelocationwillkeepthecollectiontogetherandavailableforresearchers,inthebestpossibleplaceforitsprotectionandconservationuntilitcancomehometoanewmuseumfacility.
"Themovewillnotincludemuseumpiecesandphotographsalreadyondisplayinthebattlefieldvisitorcenter,andHammondsaidinaninterviewthatevenafterthemove,itemsfromthecollectionwillberotatedthroughthevisitorcenterdisplays.
"Fortheaveragevisitors,theywillnotnoticeanydifference,"Hammondsaid.
ThenationalmonumentisthesiteofoneofthemosticonicbattlesinAmericanhistory—theJune25,1876,clashbetweenCuster's7thCavalryandacoalitionofIndiantribes,mostofthemCheyenneandSioux.
Themuseumpiecesandarchives,manyofthemdirectlyrelatedtothebattle,arenowstoredinonesmallroomandanevensmallervaultinthebasementofthe59-year-oldvisitorcenter.
Thereisnofiresuppressionsysteminthestoragearea,whichalsolacksadequateclimatecontrolsandisatriskofbeingfloodedbyexposedceiling-mountedwaterpipes.
Thebasementisnotaccessibletopeoplewithdisabilities,andHammondsaiditistoocrampedfortheproperpreservationofobjectsandforconductingresearch.
NordotheroomsmeetNationalParkServiceorAmericanAssociationofMuseumstoragestandards,shesaid.
Theprospectofmovingthecollectiondoesnotsitwellwithsomepeoplefamiliarwiththesite,includingformerbattlefieldSuperintendentJimCourt.
Overtheweekend,Courtsentanemailalerttosomebattlefieldenthusiasts,inadvanceoftheanticipatedannouncement.
Heurgedpeopletofightanyplanstomovethecollectionoutofstate,andsaid:"WehaveofferedtopayexpensestohaveitputinthenewBigHornCountyMuseumandkeepthecollectionclosetothebattlefieldandinMontana.
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Courtsaidinaninterviewthat"we"referredtotheCusterBattlefieldPreservationCommissionandtheCusterBattlefieldHistoricalandMuseumAssociation,bothofwhichhebelongsto.
Hesaidthegroupshadn'tofficiallymadetheoffer,buthewasconfidentthattheywouldbewillingtohelpkeepthecollectioninMontana.
"IfitgoestoTucson,itwillnevercomeback,"hesaid.
"That'sthefear.
"SupportersofthenewBigHornCountyMuseumareplanningtobreakgroundforthemuseumonMonday.
AccordingtoaParkServicefactsheet,theWesternArchaeologicalandConservationCenterinTucsonisastate-of-the-artfacilitythatalreadyholdsabout10millionarchivesandobjectsfrom71Westernparks.
ThesamefactsheetsaidtheIntermountainRegionalOfficeoftheParkServiceinDenverhasdesignatedtheLittleBighorncollectionasthemostat-riskcollectionintheregion'sjurisdiction,whichincludeseightstatesand91parks.
LeeNoyes,whowithhiswife,Michele,editstheBattlefieldDispatch,thequarterlynewsletteroftheCusterBattlefieldHistoricalandMuseumAssociation,saidtheParkServiceseemstobemakingthebestofabadsituation.
Noyes,whosaidhewasspeakingonlyforhimself,nottheassociation,saidallowingthecollectiontoremainwhereitis,subjecttofire,floodortheft,"isanaccidentwaitingtohappen.
""I'vegottogiveKateHammondalotofcreditforfinallytakingbullbythehornsafter25yearsoffailure,"Noyessaid.
Thatwasinreferencetothegeneralmanagementplanforthebattlefield,drawnupin1986,whichenvisionedbuildinganewvisitorcenterandmuseumcollectionsstoragefacilityinagreatlyexpandedpark.
Buteffortstodosohavebeendelayedby"financial,politicalandlegalsetbacks,"astheParkServicesaidinitsfactsheet.
Inabrochureoutliningmanagementissuesconfrontingthepark,releasedlastweek,theParkServicesaidthatunderabest-casescenario,"anewvisitorcenterisatleast5-10yearsaway.
"HammondsaidsheandtheParkServicearecommittedtocontinuingnegotiationswiththeCrowTribe,whichownsmostofthelandaroundthepark,andwiththeCusterBattlefieldPreservationCommittee,whichownsorcontrols3,500acresaroundthe765-acrenationalmonument.
Theexpansionisneededbecausethemanagementplancallsforbuildingthenewvisitorcenterandmuseumonthevalleyfloor,wherethebattlebegan,ratherthannearthesummitofLastStandHill,whereitended.
JohnWessels,directoroftheIntermountainRegionfortheParkService,said,"ArenewedcollaborationwithourpartnerstogivetheseinvaluableobjectsandarchivesapropernewhomewouldenhanceenormouslyhowwetellthestoryandthelessonsoftheLittleBighorn.
"HammondsaidtheParkServicehasbeenconsultingwiththetribesassociatedwiththebattleaboutanyitemsinthecollectionthatmaybesubjecttotheNativeAmericanGravesProtectionandRepatriationAct.
Thosetalkswillcontinueregardlessofwherethecollectionislocated,shesaid,andwillalsodealwithanyspecialstorageorvisitationrequirementsassociatedwiththeobjects.
SteveBrady,chairmanoftheNorthernCheyenneCulturalCommission,saidthecommissionisopposedtosendingCheyenneartifacts,particularlysacreditems,outofstate.
"Therearefamilymemberswithdirecttiestosomeofthesacredobjects,"hesaid.
Themove,whichwillcostanestimated$220,000,willnotaffectthe5,100-volumeWhiteSwanMemorialLibraryintheStoneHouseneartheexistingvisitorcenter.
Hammondsaidthelibraryisthefirststopformostpeopleresearchingorlookingformoreinformationaboutthebattle.
SharonSmall,curatorofthebattlefieldmuseum,hasbeeninatemporarypositionfundedyeartoyearandshewillbeoutofajobonSept.
30,theendofthefiscalyear,Hammondsaid.
Nootheremployeesatthebattlefieldwillbeaffectedbytherelocation.
ContactEdKemmickatekemmick@billingsgazette.
comor657-1293.
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