American Gam

“My lands are where my dead lie buried.” ~ Crazy Horse

No one alive today will see the finished Crazy Horse sculpture. It is for our grandchildren’s grandchildren to marvel at this multi-century project. When finished it won’t just be the largest mountain sculpture in the world, it will also be an American Indian university campus where young minds will be inspired.

Presently on site is a museum that houses a vast collection of American Indian artifacts from across the country, representing many indigenous cultures.

The mountain sculpture of the Indian warrior, Crazy Horse, was conceived by Henry Standing Bear who convinced artist/sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to come to the Black Hills to create this monument. Korczak had previously been assisting in the carving of Mount Rushmore, which is only sixteen miles down the road.

Korczak, a Polish sculptor from Boston, is known to have said, “Crazy Horse Memorial is to be carved not so much as a lineal likeness, but more as a memorial to the spirit of Crazy Horse-to his people, with his left hand thrown out pointing in answer to the derisive question asked by a white man, ‘Where are your lands now?’ he replied, ‘My lands are where my dead lie buried.”

In the beginning…

And now…

This stone, which we now possess, is a piece of the quarried mountain that is being shaped into the enduring monument that will be the Crazy Horse Memorial.

It is for Korczak’s grandchildren’s grandchildren to oversee and finish the project started by their twentieth century ancestor.

I hope this project comes to fruition and inspires many future generations.

The gam continues…