Cultural Politics or Critical Public History?: Battling on the Little Bighorn

Abstract

This article uses a series of controversies that unfolded in the Little Bighorn Battlefield area of Montana (USA) to critique the guest/host distinction that pervades tourism research. The battlefield where Custer made his legendary last stand is now a popular but contested American heritage site. This article describes how individuals have used the discursive space opened by the conjuncture of local conditions and the site's growing touristic appeal to accomplish objectives marginal to tourism. Many of those have taken shape within and served local, regional, and national identity politics. All have sought to either challenge or defend the status quo. The issues raised and positions defended during the struggle for control of the battle site and story reveal social rifts and ideological differences among, as well as between, guests and hosts. The events and interactions described complicate those categories and blur the distinction between cultural politics and critical public history. The article concludes by calling for an elaboration of the social relations found within the touristic context driven by indigenous saliences rather than scholarly concepts. Only then can the intersection of touristic and non-touristic processes be brought within the analytical purview.