Lance J. Dorrel

I am a historian living in Missouri, USA. I love to chase history, especially history concerning the Native American People and the First Nations People of Canada. Since the late 1970's, when as a young boy, I began trying to understand what went on at the Little Bighorn, a life-long passion to study the Battle developed as a result. After many years and countless trips to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument trying to make sense of what happened there, I was very fortunate to be sent down an incredible path to meet some incredible people.

It was after one of my many trips out to the American West, that I was able to meet Native American elders from the Cheyenne and Crow Tribes. At roughly the same time, I had begun to be lucky enough to met several Native American elders throughout the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota and Nakoda People. With their help and guidance, I slowly began to learn bits and pieces of their culture. This in turn, helped me navigate and be able to ask for information in the proper ways, using protocols. As I was being taught aspects of this ancient long kept history and its pieces, I was again fortunate to meet more Native American elders. This time, these elders were from the Arapaho and others were First Nations People in Canada.

With a much better and completely different scope of understanding as to who the Native American People and First Nations People were and are, the trail to the Little Bighorn slowly unveiled itsself. Together with Cheyenne historian Donovan Taylor, we simply set out to preserve pieces of these long held histories pertaining to one of History's greateset mysteries. The trail took us to the Anishinaabe, Arapaho, Blackfeet, Cree, Crow, Shoshone, Ho-Chunk, Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Nakoda and Gros Ventre People.

The majority of the information shared to us and put forth pertaining to the Battle of the Little Bighorn has not appeared in written form until now. This story is not about Donovan and myself, it is about this prestine history. Some of which has been told and in some cases recorded, only to be ignored. The Native American People and First Nations People have their history. Oral history and spirituality are key components. Listen and let your journey begin.