Crazy Horse
"My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too."
-- Chief Henry Standing Bear
Most Americans are probably familiar with the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a giant monument carved into a mountain in South Dakota, showing the heads of four U.S. Presidents (at right). It was one of the stops on my cross-country journey this summer. But if you're at all like me, you may not be aware of an equally impressive mountain carving that is taking shape just a few miles away from Mount Rushmore. This is a monument to Crazy Horse, an Indian (of the native American variety, not the kind this blog is named after!) warrior of the Oglala Lakota tribe. When the sculpture is finished, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world. |  Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Left to right: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Lincoln) |
Work in progress: the beginning of the Crazy Horse monument in Black Hills, South Dakota
A scale model of the monument, with the real thing in the background.
I found myself more moved by this monument than by Mount Rushmore. Perhaps it was because it was still a work in progress, and you could better appreciate the enormity of the task of carving a mountain. Or perhaps it's because the sculpture is the work of a fellow Pole, Korczak Ziolkowski. At the request of Lakota chief Henry Standing Bear, Ziolkowski spent 34 years of his life working on the monument, until his death in 1982. His wife and some of his 10 children, relying strictly on private funds, are continuing the work. Or perhaps, it's because I find it a fitting accompaniment to the pale males of Mt. Rushmore -- especially since they are perched on land that had been seized from the Lakota tribe by the U.S. in the 1800's . . . (Thanks to Lois G., from whom I first learned about Crazy Horse.) |
|
Amazing. I think the work in progress and the active nature of the
sculpture also gives a kinetic energy to the piece that a bunch of stagnant
heads can't compete with!! Maybe if we could see what they're thinking in
2008!! What also really moved me is the idea that there is still this kind
of work being done, that which is not finished in one's lifetime and
carried on by others. It made me think of cathedrals being built in
Europe...and maybe this is their cathedral. What a wonderful story. Sharon
Sharon: Yeah, it felt like an amazing story to me too.
Hi, ia a dutch girl and try to write english at my best ok ?
Tonight i have the house for my own , so i wend to you tube, in first case
for the song morning has broken, i found that one and i wanted it on my
website, then i saw Lakota bride version en i never heard of it and got my
interesst and thougt I want this on my website too, but firtst look at the
internet if i can found something about it and landed here...thanxxx for
the inspiration and sharing..... It 's indeed more beautiful than rushmore,
i hope that you don't mind if i place this info under the youtubevideo,
ofcourse i mend your name ....