The Land Speaks

The Land Speaks. (Rosebud Battlefield/Where the Girl Saved Her Brother). Be silent, close you eyes, and listen to the breeze as it rustles through the prairie grasses. To many, the whispering sounds make this a spiritual place. Hunans have defined this lans by its uses and the emotions it stimulates. , First Inhabitants , The Rosebud Valley was home to nomadic hunter/gatherer groups many centuries ago. The first accounts come from the oral traditions of historic tribal groups. Ancestors of the tribes that inhabit the Northern Plains today came hunting for bison, deer, elk, pronghorn, and bear, which provided not only food, but clothing, shelter, utensils and ornamentation. , Although designated as Montana Territory at the time of the Rosebud Battle, the Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and Arapahoe considered this place their free and open homeland. , Homesteaders , Following the Rosebud Battle and confinement of tribal groups to reservations, this part of Montana began to fit with homesteaders who fenced and farmed the land. The first homesteader on the battleground field, August Ahrens, arrived in 1898. Since then, cattle ranching has dominated the land use. Elmer "Slim" Kobold was the last private landowner, Arriving in 1911, the assisted in placing battlefield monuments and conducted amateur excavations. , Preservationists , "Slim" Kobold worked to ensure lasting protection for the battlefield. In 1972, a portion of the battlefield was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The probability of coal mining in the immediate vicinity prompted Kobold to sell the property to the State of Montana in 1978, to be designated as a state park. The 3,052-acre park does not encompass the entire battlefield.