After leaving Mount Rushmore, it was an easy ride around to the Crazy Horse Monument under construction not too far away. When compared to Mount Rushmore, it is clear that the Crazy Horse Monument is designed to be far, far larger. The head of Crazy Horse alone is larger than the combined heads of all four presidents at Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horses’ head is only a small portion of the intended monument which shows his head and torso astride a charging horse. We wonder if they will ever be successful in finishing the monument, particularly since it is not receiving any governmental funding. Instead, the majority of the funding appears to be coming from the sale of souvenirs -- and boy are there lots of souvenirs for sale in what were some of the largest souvenir shops we have seen at a facility like this. It was also somewhat troubling for us the extent to which the Visitors Center seemed to focus on the personality of the sculptor and his family. Seven of his ten children currently work on this project, which is run by the sculptor’s widow. There seemed to be almost as much focus on the sculptor and his family’s history as there was on Crazy Horse and what he represented for to the Sioux Indians.
Aug 31, 2007
Crazy Horse
After leaving Mount Rushmore, it was an easy ride around to the Crazy Horse Monument under construction not too far away. When compared to Mount Rushmore, it is clear that the Crazy Horse Monument is designed to be far, far larger. The head of Crazy Horse alone is larger than the combined heads of all four presidents at Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horses’ head is only a small portion of the intended monument which shows his head and torso astride a charging horse. We wonder if they will ever be successful in finishing the monument, particularly since it is not receiving any governmental funding. Instead, the majority of the funding appears to be coming from the sale of souvenirs -- and boy are there lots of souvenirs for sale in what were some of the largest souvenir shops we have seen at a facility like this. It was also somewhat troubling for us the extent to which the Visitors Center seemed to focus on the personality of the sculptor and his family. Seven of his ten children currently work on this project, which is run by the sculptor’s widow. There seemed to be almost as much focus on the sculptor and his family’s history as there was on Crazy Horse and what he represented for to the Sioux Indians.
