MONROE/CUSTER
Although George Armstrong Custer distinguished himself as a Union soldier in the Civil War, after the war he fought in the "Indian Wars" aiding in the killing and forcible relocation of Indigenous peoples in the expanding United States. That he’s honored so publicly and ubiquitously in Monroe (Michigan) is an affront, and hurtful, to Indigenous people and should be abhorrent to everyone. Indigenous children, especially, are affected—they feel outside, apart from society in seeing their historical enemies honored while none from their society are held in esteem.
GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER EQUESTRIAN STATUE RELOCATION
Petition to relocate the Custer statue in downtown Monroe, MI
CUSTER RENAMING
petition to rename Custer airport in Monroe, MI
(city-owned; opened in 1946)
petition for renaming of the Custer Ball
(a little league program started in 1955)
petition for renaming of roads named Custer
petition to rename Custer Elementary School
(Custer was a separate school district established in 1891.)
Chris Franklin speech.pdfnote the angle of many of the shots of the statue
Advocacy to remove the Custer statue has received community support and solidarity from these organizations:
American Indian Veterans of Michigan, Inc. ❀ Anishinaabek Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party ❀ Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ARCUS) ❀ Bay Mills Indian Community ❀ Black Lives Matter - Kalamazoo ❀ Cass County Michigan Democratic Party ❀ Center for Change - A Northern Michigan Advocacy Group ❀ Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes ❀ Chippewa County Democrats ❀ Coalition of Natives and Allies ❀ CRAFT ❀ Eliminating Racism and Creating/Celebrating Equity (ERACCE) ❀ Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians ❀ Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community ❀ Idle No More Michigan ❀ Keweenaw Bay Indian Community ❀ Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indian Community ❀ Little River Band of Ottawa Indians ❀ Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians ❀ Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians AKA Gun Lake Tribe ❀ Michigan Coalition Against Racism in Sports & Media ❀ Midland County Democratic Party ❀ Monroe County Concerned Citizens ❀ Monroe County Positive Action Network ❀ Native American Student Community Organization Movement (NASCO) ❀ National Congress of American Indians ❀ Native Justice Coalition ❀ Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi ❀ Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi ❀ Saginaw-Chippewa Indian Tribe ❀ Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians ❀ Turtle Island Dreamkeepers of Monroe ❀ United Tribes of Michigan ❀ Washtenaw County Democratic Party
NEWS
The National Congress of American Indians Resolution: Calling to End Custer Memorials, 2021
Interior Secretary Haaland seeks to rid U.S. of derogatory place names, 11/19/21
Custer Monument gets a Truth-Telling, press release, 9/23/21
Custer Falls Again, press release 6/25/21
War hero Custer is Monroe's "Big Lie", 5/20/21
Monroe statue should move to battlefield, Custer to Gettysburg, 3/9/21
This Land Is Our Land, 1/10/21
How a member of the tribe that battled Custer pushed Monroe to rethink its monument to the general, 8/28/20
Monroe City Council: most agree with removal of the statue, 7/20/20
Calls to remove Custer statue continue, 7/18/20
Custer statue: Monroe resident calls for removal, 6/15/20
NCAI: Requesting the Re-Naming of Fort Custer Training Center Located in the State of Michigan, 2015
Monroe City Council Meeting, 4/5/21
(anti-Custer comments at 0:34:56 and 1:34:12 of this video)
Reactions from Monroe residents, 12/13/21
RESOURCES
Good Trouble Monroe - "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, say something. Do something about it. Get in trouble. Good trouble" - John Lewis
CREED (Coalition for Racial Equality, Equity, and Diversity), an MCCC program