Of course, we visited Crazy Horse Memorial, which I had visited in 1970 with my family. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948. The Memorial's mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians. Chief Henry Standing Bear and other Native American elders who invited Korczak to carve Crazy Horse Memorial insisted that the Memorial be located in the Black Hills because they are sacred to the Lakota. They also insisted that the Memorial be named after Crazy Horse because he is a great American Indian hero. He is a hero not only because of his skill in battle, but also because of his character and his loyalty to his people. He is remembered for how he cared for the elderly, the ill, the widowed and the children.
Personally, I believe this memorial began in direct response to the completion of the Mount Rushmore Memorial in 1941. Native American elders were not pleased that the carving at Mount Rushmore depicted only White Men in a land that had sacred significance to Native Americans. When Korczak Ziolkowski returned to the Black Hills after accepting the challenge to carve a memorial "so the White Man would know the Red Man has great heroes also," he discovered local businesses displaying signs that said, "We do not serve Indians." The local hostility toward Native Americans ran very deep.
Education is the key to future success of Native American youth who are faced with surviving and competing in today's society. The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is committed to taking an active role in their educational endeavors. Korczak quickly saw that the mountain carving could ultimately serve a larger purpose. He envisioned the mountain carving as a symbol that would instill pride in the Native American. But he also saw it as a means to promote reconciliation among the races and, further, as a revenue source that would fund an educational institution for Native Americans. Korczak, an orphan who was largely self-taught, and who funded his own schooling, strongly believed that education was an important key to resolving the dilemma of being a Native American in a white society.
This is close to the way the carving looked in 1970 when we visited. My mother spent some time with Korczak's wife, Ruth, who ran the concessions and watched their 10 children while Korczak worked alone on the mountain. Korczak would not accept government funding because he believed the government would not honor the goals of the memorial. Korczak believed that if the public accepted the goals of Crazy Horse Memorial, they would support it financially. He believed in individual initiative and private enterprise. Korczak wanted to ensure the long-range goals of the Memorial, not just the mountain carving.
The work is solely supported by private gifts, admission and concessions. Because of several factors, such as the uncertainty of the weather, the availability of financing and the challenges of the mountain engineering, there is no way to predict a completion date for the mountain carving. When Korczak died on October 20, 1982, his parting words to his wife were, "You must work on the mountain -- but go slowly so you do it right." Crazy Horse Memorial is a project that will never end, even after the mountain carving is complete. The Ziolkowski family and the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation are dedicated to making careful and steady progress on all of the Memorial's humanitarian goals as well as on the mountain carving. Seven of Korczak's children have dedicated their life work to the Memorial.
After leaving Crazy Horse Memorial, we headed to Sturgis, SD, home of the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which just ended on August 14th. On the scenic drive to Sturgis, we passed the stunning Pactola Dam and Reservoir, an important water control source for a large region and a gorgeous place to spend the day. What a delightful surprise!
We visited a few shops and drove through the historic town where the vendors were busily getting ready for the Labor Day weekend Mustang Rally. Everywhere we looked were shiny Mustangs (cars, not horses) and their proud owners. It looks like it will be a great rally and the weather is just perfect for it! Tomorrow, we head to Devil's Tower.
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