Lessons in Contrast

Interspersed between national and state parks in eastern Montana and the Dakotas, we also visited a number of national monuments and historical sites such as Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the battle site of Little Big Horn.  Additionally, we also visited the Crazy Horse Monument and the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.  These various sites have been a history lesson in themselves.

As an example, the battle site of Little Big Horn offered excruciating detail, including the path of each regiment.  Plaques spelled out each advance and retreat.  White markers dotted the area with the name and rank of each soldier who fell at that spot.  A museum, dedicated to honoring Custer and the fallen offered more information, including a bookstore, movie theatre, and gift shop.  The grounds also held a large memorial cemetery, picnic area, and newly renovated washrooms.

Then we visited Wounded Knee.  A marker bleeding graffiti told a portion of the story of the Wounded Knee massacre. The small museum was closed for either the season or the weekend. A dirt road led to a small cemetery surrounded by a chain link fence.  The ramshackle entrance opened to another dirt path and a rectangular area separated by a second chain link fence that held the mass grave of nearly 150 men, women, and children slaughtered during the massacre.  A marble tombstone stood in the center as the only marker for all.  Not more than four feet from the gravesite, a young woman struck up a conversation with us and hawked her jewelry.  The information center consisted of young man selling trinkets and offering a three-ring binder with laminated articles to anyone who was interested in reading it.

We also visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Again, we saw a stark contrast.  Mount Rushmore focuses solely on the carvings of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.  It feels solemn and severe.  Originally envisioned as a tourist attraction, it has turned into a national memorial.  Over 500 craftsmen completed the carvings in only fourteen years.  The several museums on the grounds are dedicated to the vision and building of the monument.

In 1947, shortly after the Mount Rushmore monument was completed, Native American chiefs asked a young Polish sculptor to help them carve a monument to their heroes.  That monument still is not complete.  After working on Rushmore, Korczak Ziółkowski took the job on to sculpt a massive likeness of Chief Crazy Horse, riding a stallion.  For years it was a one-man job, inspired by a dream.  Today only Crazy Horse’s face is complete.  Yet the monument grounds are alive with examples of Native American tradition and culture.  Accepting no federal funding, this vibrant project continues forward.

I offer only these observations and a few photos while I continue to contemplate the contrasts.