"My lands are where my dead lie buried..." Crazy Horse, Lakota Warrior Seventeen miles south of Mt. Rushmore, stands another massive sculpture in stone, that of famed Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. He was born in circa 1840 into the Ogala Lakota Tribe as Tȟašúŋke Witkó (in Standard Lakota Orthography), which literally translates to "His-Horse-is-Crazy." During his life he rose to the ranks of a respected war leader and led the fight against the U.S. Calvary and Custer at The Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. He was a strong proponent of protecting the Lakota way of life and their traditions. He was eventually killed by a stab wound on Sept. 5th 1877. He was buried in the Wounded Knee SD vicinity (his burial location is unknown per his families request)
Crazy Horse Memorial was commissioned by Ogala Lakota Chief Standing Bear in 1948. The goal of Standing Bear in commissioning the project was to pay tribute to the Lakota nation who had long lived in the South Dakota Black Hills and consider South Dakota sacred ground. Though several tribal members expressed concern over the project and whether it would be considered a tribute or an insult to the principles of Crazy Horse. Most of this criticism has lessened over the years as the monument has become a testament to the Lakota and Plains Indians and educated Americans of all creeds of the importance of early nations to the United States as a nation.
The Lakota enlisted the assistance of talented sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to design the monument. Korczak, a noted New England sculptor came to the Black Hills in 1939 to work on Mount Rushmore as an apprentice of Gutzon Borglum. After serving in WWII, Korczak returned to the Black Hills to work on Crazy Horse in late 1947.
After surveying the land it was decided that Thunderhead Mountain would be the perfect spot for the project as the rock would be good for sculpture/blasting and the site is considered sacred to the Lakota. Crazy Horse is an ongoing project sixty years in the making. Crazy Horse is far from completion, but the Ziolkowski family continues to work towards finishing up Korczak's design. When completed it will be the largest monument in the world.
The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high. The head of Crazy Horse will be 87 feet (27 m) high; by comparison, the heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet (18 m) high.
My mom and I entered the memorial site at a quarter to three. The cost of admission is twenty dollars per car. Every dollar goes toward the ongoing completion of Crazy Horse and Native American outreach. Crazy Horse Memorial consists of an entire campus of attractions educating visitors about the mountain carved in stone, Korczak as an artist/sculptor and Native American history.
We started off our tour in the 40,000 square foot Welcome Center. Two theaters offer a twenty-minute introductory video entitled "Dynamite & Dreams," which gives a comprehensive history and attraction information. I recommend watching the video before pursuing other aspects of the tour.
The Welcome Center also features exhibits and a time line regarding the history of The Crazy Horse Monument and future plans for completion.
Also in the Visitor Complex is The Indian Museum of North America, which pays homage to all Americans of Native American ancestry - not just the Lakota who commissioned the work. This area showcases over 100 Edward Curtis portraiits of American Indians and photographs of frontier life. An adjoining room featuring Native American artisans and artists is a must see and an excellent way to learn about the history of Native Americans on the plains and their rich culture.
Hungry? We stopped by the Laughing Water Restaurant and Snack Shop for a Diet Coke and bag of homemade Kettle Korn. This is a perfect spot for hungry tourists to relax and indulge in a tasty meal. I recommend sitting on an outside deck attached to the restaurant. This deck offers remarkable views of Crazy Horse in the distance and the surround Black Hills area!
Our last stop on the tour was a stop by Korczak's original log home and adjoining studio. The log studio home was built by Korczak i 1947-48 and is filled with antiques and works of fine art. Although known mostly as a mountain sculptor, prior to moving to South Dakota, Korczak won many awards in New York for painting and his smaller sculpture work. Plaster copies and original works from his artistic career are on display, giving visitors and instead look into the creative mind of Korczak.
The log home is where Korczak lived with his beloved wife Ruth and their many children until he died in 1984. Ruth still lives on site and many of there children continue to be active in running the Crazy Horse Memorial and continued sculpture process. 100% of the money raised from admission, donations and gift shop sales goes directly to completion of Crazy Horse and Native American Educational Scholarships. Unlike Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse is a privately owned non-profit agency/attraction. This is one reason why the completion process has taken so long.
However with the help of visitors and donations by corporations, The Crazy Horse dream is being realized. In 1998, Crazy Horse's head was completed and work has begun on his arms and the horse he will be seen riding on. Eventually the Ziolkowski family hopes to have a Native American University and Medical Center on site as well. I look forward to coming back to this attraction in the coming years and monitoring the process of sculpting this exquisite landmark! A must see for tourists to The Black Hills region.
In my next archived entry I will begin to discuss what became a three week stay in Custer State Park, just south of Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.
Want to learn more? Check out the following link!
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