| Monday, June 26: Time to
leave the high North Park and head for the Black Hills of
South Dakota. For extra fun, we load Emilie in the car and take
her along with us.
In mid-afternoon we arrive in Custer, check
into our hotels, and head out for some exploring. First stop:
Crazy Horse Memorial, a most remarkable monument and
museum.
|
Scale model in foreground, mountain sculpture in
background
Photo from Wikipedia |
The Crazy Horse Memorial was begun in
1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who had worked on Mt.
Rushmore, at the request of several Lakota chiefs who wanted a
counterpoint to commemorate a Native American hero. The sculpture
portrays the warrior Crazy Horse, who led the Oglala Sioux (now
Lakota) at the battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
After he was finally captured, Crazy
Horse was asked "Where are your lands now?" The
sculpture depicts his answer: "My lands are where my dead
lie buried." |
