During the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to go on a
road trip to visit the infamous Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Completed in 1941, Mount Rushmore is an iconic representation of presidential success. From a young
age, I constantly nagged my dad about how much I wanted to see Mount Rushmore so eventually
he gave in and decided to take me and my stepmother there. We drove from Sarasota, Florida so made a few stops along the way including Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and Minnesota. Three days later we finally made it to South Dakota. As we drove towards Mount Rushmore we noticed that we saw masses of motorcyclists heading the same direction. We then realised that Sturgis, a famous annual motorcycle rally was taking place. I had never seen so many motorcycles in all my life, ranging in different colours and sizes, all parked up on the streets leading up to Mount Rushmore. It was amazing to see how much effort people had put into making their motor cycles stand out. Be sure to check it out if you're ever in South Dakota during the first week of August when it takes place.
We loved looking at all the different bikes.
For our first night in South Dakota, we stayed in a place called
Wall which was about 50 miles away from Mount Rushmore. Because it was Sturgis, it was very difficult to find a hotel with affordable rooms
available so we settled for Wall. Located in the midst of the Badlands, Wall is
a very, very small town known for its large pharmacy (Wall Drug Store), which
happens to be a popular tourist attraction due to its history stemming from the
Depression. The surrounding Badlands
around Wall were breathtaking to look at, and although there wasn't much there,
the people were friendly and the bar was very cheap!
So after a night in Wall, we woke up early and were ready to
head to Mount Rushmore. I remember being extremely excited, constantly checking
sure my camera was charged and sticking my head out of the car window to see if
I could see the Presidents’ heads from a distance. Eventually, I saw a sign for
Mount Rushmore indicating it was two miles away and I caught glimpse of George
Washington’s face.
As soon as we got out of the car, I whipped out the camera and snapped away. The monument is absolutely breathtaking. We eagerly walked towards the faces, through the Avenue of Flags (the flags of the 50 states, 1 district, 2 commonwealths and 3 territories of the USA) and up to the Grandview Terrace and the Presidential Trail. Access to Mount Rushmore is completely free, although parking is about $10, which is very reasonable. There is also a tourist shop where you can buy souvenirs, food and a drink (I recommend water, its extremely hot in the summer). I couldn't resist buying myself a t-shirt for $24 (plus tax), which was quite pricey but totally worth it because I knew it'd be a worthwhile memorabilia.
The Avenue of Flags
So once we reached Grandview Terrace, the main viewing area, I was in awe with the mountain of faces that stood before me. With the sun gleaming down on their stern white faces, the clear blue skies and the surrounding greenery in the background made Mount Rushmore look beyond picturesque. It was so hard to believe that such a monument was done by the hands of man.
My head amongst the Presidents
The President's faces (from left to right): George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt Abraham Lincoln
The detail of the faces was absolutely incredibly. The monument as a whole is somewhat intimidating yet completely fascinating. I could not keep my eyes of it. The endearing eyes of Washington follow you, Jefferson's hopeful face looks beyond the land while Roosevelt and Lincoln's expressions, although somewhat hidden, protrude in the shadow just by their stern yet heroic demeanour. As we followed the the Presidential Trail, we delved into the history of the carving of famous American faces into the Indian's precious Black Hills, as they were rightfully known as before Mount Rushmore.
The brave and determined people who worked on Mount Rushmore. Fortunately, and surprisingly, no one died working on it.
The creator himself. Unfortunately, he died just before Mount Rushmore was complete but his son took control to ensure the monument would be finished.
A traditional type of Indian home (also known as Tepees)
I was not only fascinated by Mount Rushmore as an aesthetic
tourist attraction, I was more intrigued
by its history. This is because it was strongly embedded into the American Studies degree that I was studying at the time. Created and sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore acts as a symbol of patriotism and hope for the American people. Yet for the Indian's, especially the Lakota Sioux, Mount Rushmore is nothing more than a monumental graffiti on their rightful land. The history of Mount Rushmore is disheartening in the sense that the Americans violated The Treaty of Fort Laramie 1868 and stole the land from the Lakota Sioux Tribe. The treaty gave the Lakota tribe possession of their sacred Black Hills but the Americans discovered gold there in 1874 so seized the land after the Great Sioux War of 1876.
Controversy has always surrounded Mount Rushmore, and probably always will. In my final year of my degree, I studied a module called Native American Literature and Film where we explored how the Indian's painful history has been conveyed through these two different forms of entertainment. In the feature film "Skins", directed by Chris Eyre, Mount Rushmore plays a significant part in how the story is shaped. We are reminded of how traumatised many Indian's have be become/are because of the years of bloodshed, loss, war and fighting for land. The end scene in the film shows a haunting image of Mount Rushmore with red paint dripping down the nose of Washington's face (watch the film and you'll see why, I may do a review on it). I had mentioned in my seminar that I had visited Mount Rushmore and gave my fellow peers insight into my experience. I mentioned that it's frightening that the white presidential faces earnestly overlook the Indian's Black Hills. The monument as a whole practically acts as a way of reminding Indian's of the tragic history that they were victims of. Mount Rushmore is not only a representation of male white supremacy, it is a recognition of America's hungry desire for westward expansion and the retrieving of land to gain power and wealth. The size of Mount Rushmore alone is enough to overshadow the Indian's land. The American's knew that Indian's considered the Black Hills to be sacred yet rather than respecting their desire for peace, they drilled four white faces into the land stolen from them. Despite the amount of tourists Mount Rushmore attracts, the shame of America and the guilt they will forever hold will never be forgotten.
As a way of compensating the Indian's for the desecration of their land, in 1948 Sioux Chief Henry Standing Bear recruited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to build the Crazy Horse Memorial in another area in the Black Hills. Unfortunately, Ziolkowski did not lived to see his finished sculpture, he died in 1982, leaving his widow Ruth to take charge of Crazy Horse.
Crazy Horse himself was a Native America war leader of the Oglala Lakota who led various Sioux tribes against the U.S. army. He was eventually killed, yet he was never defeated. He fought for his people right until his death hence why his legacy will always remain.
While I was there, I saw the completed face of Crazy Horse, the drawn outline of the horse and even managed to witness workers using dynamite on the rock. We were also able to see what the finished Crazy Horse Memorial will aim to look like through digitalised photos and models. When completed, it will probably be one of the world's largest sculptures, which is pretty impressive. Unfortunately, Ruth Ziolkowski passed away earlier this year so the Ziolkowski children are now in charge, in the hopes of gaining additional funding and support to complete the project. Apparently, the sculpture should be completed by 2050, so still a while to go. I just hope I'm able to see it.
I think the Crazy Horse Memorial is definitely what the Black Hills needs. White men were not the only heroes of America therefore Indian's should be given the recognition they deserve. Crazy Horse is a symbol of hope, strength and courage who watches over the Indians land and looks to the future. Despite the somewhat kind gesture behind Crazy Horse, many people are still critical of its development mainly because of the desecration of the sacred Indian land.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, I think Mount Rushmore is a breathtaking masterpiece, an amazing tourist attraction and a symbol that delves into America's history. With that said, Mount Rushmore can easily be labelled as a permanent mark of disrespect which regurgitates a painful history to many Indian cultures and tribes. I'm glad Mount Rushmore opened my eyes to the harsh realities of a segment of America's history. It encouraged me to learn more about Native American history and the struggles they have gone through to become accepted into the so called "land of the free". The Indian people's perseverance, courage and strength is inspiring. Although the Crazy Horse Memorial will never compensate for the Indian struggle, it acts as a symbol of change and progression.
Just a few quick tips if you are thinking of visiting Mount Rushmore:
Controversy has always surrounded Mount Rushmore, and probably always will. In my final year of my degree, I studied a module called Native American Literature and Film where we explored how the Indian's painful history has been conveyed through these two different forms of entertainment. In the feature film "Skins", directed by Chris Eyre, Mount Rushmore plays a significant part in how the story is shaped. We are reminded of how traumatised many Indian's have be become/are because of the years of bloodshed, loss, war and fighting for land. The end scene in the film shows a haunting image of Mount Rushmore with red paint dripping down the nose of Washington's face (watch the film and you'll see why, I may do a review on it). I had mentioned in my seminar that I had visited Mount Rushmore and gave my fellow peers insight into my experience. I mentioned that it's frightening that the white presidential faces earnestly overlook the Indian's Black Hills. The monument as a whole practically acts as a way of reminding Indian's of the tragic history that they were victims of. Mount Rushmore is not only a representation of male white supremacy, it is a recognition of America's hungry desire for westward expansion and the retrieving of land to gain power and wealth. The size of Mount Rushmore alone is enough to overshadow the Indian's land. The American's knew that Indian's considered the Black Hills to be sacred yet rather than respecting their desire for peace, they drilled four white faces into the land stolen from them. Despite the amount of tourists Mount Rushmore attracts, the shame of America and the guilt they will forever hold will never be forgotten.
As a way of compensating the Indian's for the desecration of their land, in 1948 Sioux Chief Henry Standing Bear recruited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to build the Crazy Horse Memorial in another area in the Black Hills. Unfortunately, Ziolkowski did not lived to see his finished sculpture, he died in 1982, leaving his widow Ruth to take charge of Crazy Horse.
Crazy Horse himself was a Native America war leader of the Oglala Lakota who led various Sioux tribes against the U.S. army. He was eventually killed, yet he was never defeated. He fought for his people right until his death hence why his legacy will always remain.
Me, my Step-mum and Daddy standing in front of the Crazy Horse Memorial
While I was there, I saw the completed face of Crazy Horse, the drawn outline of the horse and even managed to witness workers using dynamite on the rock. We were also able to see what the finished Crazy Horse Memorial will aim to look like through digitalised photos and models. When completed, it will probably be one of the world's largest sculptures, which is pretty impressive. Unfortunately, Ruth Ziolkowski passed away earlier this year so the Ziolkowski children are now in charge, in the hopes of gaining additional funding and support to complete the project. Apparently, the sculpture should be completed by 2050, so still a while to go. I just hope I'm able to see it.
I think the Crazy Horse Memorial is definitely what the Black Hills needs. White men were not the only heroes of America therefore Indian's should be given the recognition they deserve. Crazy Horse is a symbol of hope, strength and courage who watches over the Indians land and looks to the future. Despite the somewhat kind gesture behind Crazy Horse, many people are still critical of its development mainly because of the desecration of the sacred Indian land.
A dynamite blast to remove rock from the mountain
The face of Crazy Horse was completed in 1998
I hope I'm still around to see the finished sculpture!
Despite the controversy surrounding it, I think Mount Rushmore is a breathtaking masterpiece, an amazing tourist attraction and a symbol that delves into America's history. With that said, Mount Rushmore can easily be labelled as a permanent mark of disrespect which regurgitates a painful history to many Indian cultures and tribes. I'm glad Mount Rushmore opened my eyes to the harsh realities of a segment of America's history. It encouraged me to learn more about Native American history and the struggles they have gone through to become accepted into the so called "land of the free". The Indian people's perseverance, courage and strength is inspiring. Although the Crazy Horse Memorial will never compensate for the Indian struggle, it acts as a symbol of change and progression.
Just a few quick tips if you are thinking of visiting Mount Rushmore:
- Although admission is free, parking is $10 so do bare that in mind.
- Take a look in the souvenir shop. A shirt with the president's faces is a must.
- If you go in the summer, bring lots of sun cream and stay hydrated. It gets extremely hot there.
- Be sure to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial. There is a bus that takes you there and you get to go on a tour of the area. Even though the sculpture isn't finished yet, you'll get to see a dynamite explosion
- Be respectful to the Indian's in there area. Remember they are people, not tourist attractions. Treat them with respect and be polite.
I thought I'd end this article with a quote from Mount Rushmore's creator, Borglum. It sums up his vision and idealisation of not only the four presidents of his choosing, but America as a nation:
"We believe the dimensions of national heartbeats are greater than village impulses, greater than state dreams or ambitions. Therefore we believe a nation's memorial should, like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt, have a serenity, a nobility, a power that reflects the gods who inspired them and suggests the gods they have become".
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