Ethnic cleanser in a buckskin suit

The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of Little Bighorn

THE great American folk icon Johnny Cash was no fan of George Armstrong Custer and wrote one of his most scathing lyrics about the mercenary.

The jingoistic approach to American history of the 19th century — a strong feature of Hollywood westerns right up to the 1960s — has not only had a profound effect on the consciousness of many Americans, but on the countless millions of others who, beyond the American continent, are influenced by all facets, both negative and positive, of American culture.