A vision comes to life: the Crazy Horse Memorial

Crazy Horse - a vision, a private family operation, a work in progress, probably still for a long time! A Polish decendant and sculptor from New England by name Korczak Ziolkowski, came to the Black Hills in 1939 to help Gutzon Borglum on Mount Rushmore. He declined this job offer, but came back to the sacred Hills in 1947, coaxed by Chief Henry Standing Bear (photo below) to create a monumental monument for all Indians, a portrait of Crazy Horse. In June 1948 the first blast took place.

 

 

Ziolkowski, almost 40 at the time he arrived, proudly kept his promise to the Indians and worked hard to succeed. He married Ruth and had 10 children with her. All of them worked hard and dedicated their lives to the Monument. The artist died unexpectedly in 1982 and his wife and children took over. Ruth shifted the carving efforts from the horse's head to Crazy Horse's face.That way the public was able to see progress. All work was overseen by Ruth herself. We met her during the Buffalo Round-up in Custer State Park in 2012 in person, a visionary, tough lady. She passed away in 2014 and children and grandchildren took over. We met with her daughter Jadwiga this time in the adjacent Laughing Water Restaurant.

The general mission of the Ziolkowski family and the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and heritage of the North American Indians. There is an Indian Museum of North America  - a large collection of art and artifacts (photos below)-, a Native American Edicuational & Cultural Center and The Indian University of North America.  The Memorial is financed by admissions, gift shop income and contributions and does not accept federal or state funding. 

 

We took part at the offered bus tours to the foot of the mountain. Leaf coloration was beautiful and cloud formations as well!

Hill City, where we stayed for the night, is a favorite destination in the Black Hills and next to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial as well as Custer SP. Surrounded by Ponderosa pines there are a lot of outdoors offerings (not so much in the rain, though,,,), but also art galleries, gift shops and boutiques along Main Street. The Museum @Black Hills Institute - a fossil-packed museum - and the 1880 Train Depot (below) are good stops as well. And, there is another famous artwork by famous sculptor John Lopez: a horse.

 

Miner Brewing Co. as well as adjacent Prairie Berry Winers are the brainchild of a young visionary lady by name Sandi Vojta, winemaker and brewmaster in one. The winery is famous for its semi-sweet grape wines and its fruit wines (especially their rhubarb wine) and serves great charcuterie plates to go with it.