Crazy Horse in the Black Hills
In 1948, Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Standing Bear officially started the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota, not far from Mount Rushmore. The sculpture was designed to show Crazy Horse pointing over the head of his horse, and already dwarfs Rushmore. The project is far from finished and the Ziolkowski family have so far refused funds from the federal government, using entry fees and donations instead. This page will tell you more about the Memorial, the controversy surrounding it and let you speak your opinion.
Contents for the Crazy Horse Memorial Page
About Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse is one of the most legendary people in United States history. From his leadership to his untimely death, he had an impact that is still felt today. He is one of many historical figures of this country that more students should know more about.
Note: The picture below was attached to the Wiki article. There is no evidence that the photo actually shows Crazy Horse as the man wasn't known to seek out photographers.
Crazy Horse (Lakota: T?a?ú?ke Witkó (in Standard Lakota Orthography), literally "His-Horse-is-Crazy")Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names in the United States. Normandy: University of Oklahoma Press, p. 125 (ca. 1840 ? September 5, 1877) was a respected war leader of the Oglala Lakota, who fought against the U.S. federal government in an effort to preserve the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life and participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876. He later died in a scuffle against soldiers when captured.
About The Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction in the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the form of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance.
The memorial consists of the mountain carving (monument), the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by some Native Americans, between Custer and Hill City, roughly 8 miles (13 km) away from Mount Rushmore.
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.
The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is still far from completion. When finished, it will be the world's largest sculpture.
Photos of the Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial, SD
The world's largest sculpture is being built in South Dakota: 172 x 195 m. It ma...
Controversy about the Memorial
The general breakdown is like this:
One side believes the Memorial is a tremendous tribute to Crazy Horse, and the sculpture's size makes a statement since Crazy Horse would be so much larger than all of the Presidents on Mount Rushmore combined.
The other side wants to consider the sacredness of the land, especially the Black Hills, and considers any defacement of that area to be against the spirit of Crazy Horse. Activist Russell Means put his position this way: "Imagine going to the holy land in Israel, whether you're a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, and start carving up the mountain of Zion. It's an insult to our entire being." Lakota medicine man Lame Deer said: "The whole idea of making a beautiful wild mountain into a statue of him is a pollution of the landscape. It is against the spirit of Crazy Horse."
What do you think?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYour predictions on the Crazy Horse Memorial
The Memorial was officially started in 1948. It is a long way from being finished. Here's your chance to really predict how things may go:
More on the Life of Crazy Horse
The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History
As the peerless warrior who brought the U.S. Army to its knees at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse remains one of the most perennially fascinating figures of the American West. Now Joseph Marshall-a masterful storyteller, historian, and descendant of the same Lakota community that raised Crazy Horse-goes beyond that image in this one-of-a-kind portrait of the legendary leader.
Amazon Price: $10.80 (as of 12/07/2009) 
List Price: $16.00
Used Price: $5.61
Crazy Horse: A Lakota Life (Civilization of the American Indian)
Crazy Horse was as much feared by tribal foes as he was honored by allies. His war record was unmatched by any of his peers, and his rout of Custer at the Little Bighorn reverberates through history. Yet so much about him is unknown or steeped in legend. Crazy Horse: A Lakota Life corrects older, idealized accounts--and draws on a greater variety of sources than other recent biographies--to expose the real Crazy Horse: not the brash Sioux warrior we have come to expect but a modest, reflective man whose courage was anchored in Lakota piety. Kingsley M. Bray has plumbed interviews of Crazy Horse's contemporaries and consulted modern Lakotas to fill in vital details of Crazy Horse's inner and public life.
Amazon Price: $18.96 (as of 12/07/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Used Price: $9.25
Crazy Horse: The Life Behind the Legend
"There has to be someone left to tell the tale." Little did Crazy Horse know when he spoke these words in battle that it was his tale that people would be telling long after his death. Author Mike Sajna brings this legendary warrior back to life in this book about his epic struggle to save his way of life amid the westward movement of white settlers.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/07/2009)
List Price: $9.99
Used Price: $0.75
The Authorized Biography of Crazy Horse and His Family Part One: Creation, Spirituality, and the Family Tree
William Matson spent eight years gathering this story on the reservations of the Lakota. Over 135 hours of footage was shot for this four part documentary. The Crazy Horse family had final say as to what is included in the finished product.
Amazon Price: $23.95 (as of 12/07/2009)
List Price: $23.95
Used Price:
INVESTIGATING HISTORY: WHO KILLED CRAZY HORSE?
The young, mystical Sioux leader Crazy Horse (Tasunka Witko) personifies Native-American resistance to white advancement westward. His leadership in the 1876 defeat of Custer's 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn made him the most famous Indian warrior in America.
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 12/07/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Used Price:
Related Links and Sources
- Crazy Horse - Black Hills South Dakota
- Official site of the Crazy Horse Memorial.
- The Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota
- Personal weblog of Jim Seaman in Raleigh, NC - a complaint against the Memorial.
- Crazy Horse Gift Shop
- Website of the gift shop that operates at the Crazy Horse Memorial.
- Russell Means
- Official website of Russell Means, who commented on the CHM: "Imagine going to the holy land in Israel, whether you're a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, and start carving up the mountain of Zion. It's an insult to our entire being."
Any more thoughts on the Memorial or Crazy Horse?
If you have comments about the Memorial and want to go more in-depth, or just have a general comment about Crazy Horse, post it here.
-
Reply
- grannysage grannysage Mar 26, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
- About 15 or so years ago. My family and I stopped by the monument. on our way to Yellowstone. It felt sacred to me, both from the mountain itself, and from the great amount of time this family has devoted to it. They also do not accept any government financing.
Before leaving, we were able to take a piece of granite that had been blasted out of the mountain. I placed it in a labyrinth I built in a pasture in Kansas. Years later, I left that home and moved to California. The rock stayed behind until I was able to retrieve it and take it to California.
When I moved back to Kansas once again I decided not to take the rock with me. I placed it in a stone circle near another mountain sacred to the Native Americans in that area. Now I feel that the Crazy Horse rock is once again in a sacred spot, and since I was the holder for many years, I can reach out and touch its energy when I feel the need.
Long story, but I wanted to share it.
by TribalDancer
Explore related pages
Rainbow Bridge Poem- The most beautiful Rainbow Bridge Poem wind chimes in the world. Visit Our Sit...
Be Indian OR Be a Responsible Indian- This lens is not created to create a controversy or not to hurt any person feeli...
HONOR OUR HEROES- God put this in my heart after I went through some photographs of armed servicem...
Twilight: New Moon- Edward Cullen, a mysterious, attractive boy with incredible power, abilities, an...
Crazy Horse- Crazy Horse was a respected war leader of the Lakota, who fought against the U.S...
