South Dakota: Crazy Horse Monument

South Dakota: Crazy Horse Monument

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In 1947, sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski accepted a commission from the Sioux to carve a likeness of Crazy Horse in their sacred Black Hills. Ziolkowski died in 1982; with luck, his great-great-grandchildren will live long enough to dedicate the finished sculpture.

Unlike Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse is being sculpted in the round. The finished creation, depicting a mounted Crazy Horse pointing to the surrounding land, will stand 563' tall (higher than the Washington Monument) and 641' long. All four Mt. Rushmore heads would fit inside Crazy Horse's head. The photos below show the progress of construction from 1990 to 2002:

Crazy Horse carving, 1990

Crazy Horse carving, 1998

Crazy Horse carving, 2000

Crazy Horse carving, 2002

Fortunately, the Visitor Center displays a 1/34 scale model of the finished project:

Crazy Horse 1/34 scale model

Details of the Crazy Horse carving

Progress of the carving

The site also contains the Indian Museum of North America, displaying a large collection of artifacts contributed by the tribes, and a collection of sculptor Ziolkowski's earlier works.

Fighting Stallions, by Korczak Ziolkowski

"Fighting Stallions," by Crazy Horse sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski

Grand plans for the Monument include a University and Medical Training Center for the North American Indian at the base of the statue, together with a larger Indian Museum. As a matter of principle, the Crazy Horse Monument refuses all government funding, so donations and visitor fees represent its only sources of income. If you're interested in contributing, click here.

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