My Lands Are Where My Dead Lie Buried

The Black Hills in South Dakota brought on some conflicting emotions, especially while visiting Mount Rushmore. There is a very deep Native American history centralized in this area, tainted with sadness, and it was difficult for me to feel patriotic towards Mount Rushmore knowing in my heart that what was done here was wrong. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota, and other tribes, so not only did the American Government violate their treaty (the Treaty of Fort Laramie) but they drove it home by carving into the sacred mountainside. Unfortunately what's done is done and for me personally, the only way to honor that history is to learn it, respect it, appreciate it and share it. The idea of Mount Rushmore is good, four presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history but the museum does a pathetic job of honoring the true history of the Hills and the controversy of the monument. However, during the evening lighting of the mountainside I did indeed fill with pride as the Ranger who led the ceremony did acknowledge the Lakota people, the history of this place, the men who made the mountain, and she reminded everyone that to be strong we must look for the commonalities among us and not the differences. Obviously I've paraphrased as what the Ranger said was much more beautiful but every bit as truthful.

Ok, the heavy stuff aside there are just two things I have to say about Mt. Rushmore. 1) It's total BS that as a "National Memorial" Mount Rushmore is excluded from the NPS interagency pass and 2) it totally looks fake. I don't know what it is but it looks tiny and fake. There, I said it. Maybe it was like the Mona Lisa, it's built up in your mind as this great, amazing painting but in reality (although no less the things you thought) it's surprisingly small! Also, sorry for the unstable night shots!

The nearby Custer State Park is beautiful and also an animal reserve, home to around 1500 bison! As we were driving through the park, we ran right into the herd! I've seen buffalo (Golden Gate Park has a few!) but never this close and never this many! Some people were getting out of their cars (BAD IDEA!) but I enjoyed from the car, watching a little baby cross the road with mama.

 

The title of this post comes from the Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse, and was the inspiration for sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski as he began the Crazy Horse Monument at the request of Henry Standing Bear who wished for people to know that "the red man has great heroes too." Although this monument has it's fair share of controversy as well, I have high hopes for the completed monument which will include (and has a great deal accomplished) cultural and educational programs and services, like the Indian Museum of North America. In contrast with paying extra fees at Mount Rushmore, I was happy to pay entry as well as donate to the Crazy Horse Monument. The project is NOT federally funded (meaning no government money, aka your taxes) to ensure that the beliefs outlined at the projects inception will remain true for all future generations.