Custer on Canvas

The 1876 events known as Custer's Last Stand, Battle of Little Big Horn, or Battle of Greasy Grass have been represented over 1000 times in various artistic media, from paintings to sculpture to fast food giveaways. Norman Denzin shows how these representations demonstrate the changing perceptions-often racist-of Native America by the majority culture, juxtaposed against very different readings shown in works composed by Native American artists. Consisting of autobiographical reminiscences, historical description, artistic representations, staged readings, and snippets of documents, this multilayered performance ethnography examines questions of memory, race, and violence against Native America, as symbolized by the changing interpretations of General Custer and his final battle.

Norman K. Denzin is Distinguished Professor of Communications, College of Communications Scholar, and Research Professor of Communications, Sociology, and Humanities at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Chapter One: A Good Day to Die: The Battle of Many Names, Part One Chapter Two: Whose Last Stand: The Early Paintings Chapter Three: A Brewery Buys a Painting: Aneheuser-Bush and Cassilly Adams Chapter Four: Whose Custer? Chapter Five: Killing Custer: Reading Red Horse Chapter Six: Here Custer Fell Chapter Seven: Custer, Cody, Sitting Bull, and Wild West Shows Chapter Eight: Buffalo Bill's Museum, Custer and Western Art Chapter Nine: Art, Robber Barons and the New West Chapter Ten: The Last Rodeo Notes References Index About the Author