11/07/2020
Crazy Horse Memorial monument. While in the Black Hills, South Dakota, Tammy and I visited the Crazy Horse Memorial. While its progress seems to be a slow pace as compared to the 14 years it took Mount Rushmore to be carved, realize this has largely been done a single family up until the late 90's and then its been worked on by about 14 workers/ day since. This monument moved more me more so than any other Ive visited in recent years.
A couple of neat facts about this monument and Crazy Horse:
No photograph ever existed of Crazy Horse so the sculpture had to meet with many different tribe elders and draw composites, utilizing their memories. The face you see on this monument, is from dozens of fellow American Natives memories of him.
Korczak Ziolkowski was chosen by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to create this statue to honor Indians heroes, much the same way Mount Rushmore did for the white man.
Korczak was an original sculptor on Mount Rushmore and was chosen by Henry Standing Bear due to his sculpture he created of Crazy Horse, to honor him
Korczak didnt immediately take to this project but in fact went off to fight in WW2. When he returned, he and his family made it their lives work, to start this monument.
The Zilolkowski family believed that this mission they served had three facets. The monument, better schooling for Native Americans and better healthcare. All (3) are currently underway with the school system being the most remarkable. If a Native American attends their schooling system, they are 74% more likely to succeed. Without it, their odds drop to 1%. Facilities are being built on the 250 acres the family purchased, adjacent to the mountain.
The face of Crazy Horse is approximately 1/3 larger than those of Mount Rushmore
The entire statue will include Crazy Horse riding on his horse
The entire monument is being funded privately by donations and visitor entrance fees. No money was ever accepted by the US Government. Throughout its early years, the family was approached by the US Government to offer money and assistance. In every instance, it was turned down after Korczak saw how the US Government took over Mount Rushmore and forced them to finish it 1/2 complete (The original design was to have their faces with upper torsos and if you look closely at Abe Lincoln, he left ear was never finished)
Unlike the carving at Mount Rushmore, that requires constant upkeep, due to the rocks composition, the mountain where Crazy Horse is being created (Thunder Mountain) is comprised of granite with iron infused. This required only a torch to be passed over the rock, which sealed it, making its surface virtually indestructible by wind and rain.
Because of the iron content in the rock, as rain falls on the freshly sculpted granite, the patina shows the rock to be more reddish brown, which better captures Crazy Horses true skin complexion. This was considered by many Native Americans to be why Thunder mountain was the perfect mountain.
The work has improved with newer technology, using GPS systems to ensure the scaled model carved by the original artist, is followed to nearly a few inches.
The thought process currently in place states the monument will be completed through its stages within 40-60 years.
