Crazy Horse

      

In 1947, Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to the Black Hills of South Dakota to carve Crazy Horse.  The pose for the carving is said to be in response to the white man asking Crazy Horse where his lands are now.  His response was to point and say “My lands are where my dead lie buried”.

Korczak was 40 years old at the time and had $174 to his name.  He felt that this should be built by the interested public and not with federal money.  He twice turned down offers for federal funding.  He also knew that this was a project that would not be finished in his lifetime, so he left detailed plans to be used to continue the carving.  His wife, Ruth and seven of their children continue working with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation to continue his work. 

There is quite a complex here at the memorial.  One daughter runs the gift shop while another runs the restaurant.  Sons continue to work on the carving.  There is also a Indian University on the grounds. 

We also took time to watch and listen to this indian dancer.  This performer not only did some of the dances, but also explained what the dance represented.  One of the most interesting dance he did was called a “grass dance”  He explained that this dance was done to stomp down the prairie grass so that the tipi’s could be erected.  He was asked how long he thought the grass dance lasted at Little Big Horn.  His response was about 3 days.  This dance was continued until the last tipi was erected.

 

It’s a very interesting place and well worth the entrance fee.