Representing the Lakota sacrifice in the Battle of Little Big Horn

Western Sculpture Defiance by Craig Bergsgaard

It is always exciting when a sculpture moves from a clay to a finished bronze. A finished bronze becomes part the history of the family that collects the piece. As you can imagine, this gravity is not lost on me as an artist.

I feel especially moved by this piece because of the historical significance of the event that inspired it.

My vision for this piece was sparked by a visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield. On the actual battle site, there are inscriptions on the markers of the fallen Native Americans that read, in part: “fell here on June 25, 1876 while defending the Lakota way of life.” I developed this sculpture as a testament to the ultimate sacrifice paid by these warriors.

Defiance shows the ultimate in “Never Say Die.” By the time of the Battle of Little Big Horn, the Sioux had been deceived, suffered numerous broken treaties, and was facing the extinction of their tribal homeland. Yet, somehow, these warriors kept their dignity — and their fighting pride.

This is an edition of only nine – over half were sold during the pre-cast phase. Please let me know if you would like me to reserve one of the remaining pieces for you.
Size is 31″h x 24″w x 14″d and the price is $5,100