Native American Hero Monument Nearly Finished After 70 Years

Sep 30, 2021 by apost team

There are many ways to remember and honor important figures from history. One of the most popular and tangible ways to memorialize the past is with a monument, and there is no grander stage for a monument than the side of a mountain. A prime example of this is the Mount Rushmore monument in South Dakota, which memorializes the American “founding fathers” George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

When Mount Rushmore was being built in the 1930s, an Oglala Lakota chief, Henry Standing Bear, felt strongly that a Native American leader should also be included, and he chose Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band, and he fought tirelessly to protect the Native American people and traditions from being encroached upon by settlers. He expertly led his men in many important battles and is considered a hero. 

The Crazy Horse Memorial was officially commissioned in 1948 by Henry Standing Bear, and the elder requested that sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who had previously worked on the Mount Rushmore project under Gutzon Borglum, lead the construction. The Crazy Horse monument is also located in South Dakota, but specifically in the Black Hills in Custer County. 

The memorial is a non-profit project that does not accept funding from the state or federal government. Instead, the foundation collects money from visitors to the monument, and the museum and gift shops are also included on-site, as well as donations. The project has been under development and construction for over 70 years but is finally nearing completion. Keep reading to learn more about this astonishing monument.

On the Crazy Horse Memorial Facebook page, the foundation shared: “The mission of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and living heritage of the North American Indians.” The group shares historical information about the monument as well as frequent updates on the construction process.

One of their posts from September 2021 reads: “It has been a productive summer #MountainMonday friends – and we look forward to fall. The Carvers will carry on with work in several areas of the Sculpture simultaneously. On the back side of Crazy Horse’s Left Arm, saw cuts have been followed by torching which is the same technique that was used in finishing Crazy Horse’s Face.” It is fascinating to know how this incredible granite structure is made. The monument is planned to be 641 ft. long and 563 ft. tall by completion.

On Labor Day 2021, the memorial foundation shared: “When #MountainMonday aligns with Labor Day AND Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s birthdate (Sept. 6, 1908), the subject matter of our post is clear. It is important to remember why we are here and the people who helped get us here. Korczak was an extremely hard worker who believed the impossible was may be difficult – but certainly possible.

“It is also important to note another significance of today’s date – the elders who asked Korczak to carve a Mountain, and chose Lakota Warrior Crazy Horse to be the subject, also considered it an omen that Crazy Horse died within hours of Korczak’s birth, 31 years earlier (1877). Today we honor these two great men, Crazy Horse and Korczak, and we recognize all those who work for prosperity in our country.”

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