Crazy Horse News

CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Harriet Brings once saw her grandfather George Plenty Wolf talk a porcupine out of some quills.

“He did not have to kill it,” she said. “He talked with it, the porcupine came over and grandfather just pulled out some of the quills. Then we just left some food and backed away.”

Brings, a seasonal cultural specialist at Crazy Horse Memorial, will share some of her Oglala Lakota family’s stories during the free 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, program at the Memorial’s visitor center.

Her daughter, Ailine Maea, also will sing traditional songs and demonstrate sign language. A college senior, she has toured Germany as a Native American ambassador.

Brings teaches Lakota language and some Oglala traditions and ceremonies to North Middle School sixth and seventh graders in Rapid City. She has taught the elective cultural appreciation course for three years, previously working as a Title 7 program cultural specialist throughout the Rapid City school district.

From the Red Cloud community, Brings said her Pine Ridge Reservation tiospaye (extended family) maintains the cultural traditions, including speaking Lakota exclusively at home. She learned about history, including about her ancestors Man Afraid of His Horse and Clown Horse. And her maternal grandparents, George Plenty Wolf and Julia Dirt Kettle, taught her about plants, birds and animals while guiding her on trips to gather natural medicines.

The mother-daughter story and song presentation will conclude this year’s weekly Summer Performance and Lecture Series at Crazy Horse.

People attending the Thursday program are admitted free to Crazy Horse Memorial with three cans of food per person for the KOTA Care & Share Food Drive. Audience members also are welcome to tour the visitor complex, see the Lakota Family Dancers on the viewing deck at 7 p.m., and stay for the “Legends in Light” laser-light show presentation at 8:30 p.m.

For more information, e-mail memorial@crazyhorse.org, visit www.crazyhorsememorial.org or call 673-4681.

Open every day year-round, Crazy Horse Memorial is on U.S. Highway 16/385 between Hill City and Custer.

Lakota youth dancers from Rapid City will be featured at the free weekly Summer Performance & Lecture Series program at Crazy Horse Memorial on Thursday, Aug. 19.

The 6 p.m. event in the visitor center will showcase “The Little Soldier Dancers,” sisters Irene Rone Eagle, 10, Trivi Ann Rone Eagle, 9, and Marah Rone Eagle, 6.

Their grandfather Alton Little Soldier Belt also will provide a brief overview of his latest historic research project. A Hunkpapa-Oglala, Belt’s grandfather Henry Little Soldier was a stepson of Chief Sitting Bull.

Belt is a student at Oglala Lakota College in Rapid City, pursuing a degree in chemical dependency counseling. In 2003 he received the student of the year award and distinguished award for merit from the South Dakota Association for Adult Lifelong Learning.

People attending the Thursday educational programs are admitted free to Crazy Horse Memorial with three cans of food per person for the KOTA Care & Share Food Drive. Program audience members can tour the visitor complex and see the “Legends in Light” laser-light show presentation at 8:45 p.m.

For more information about the weekly programs, contact cultural education specialist Belinda Joe at 673-4681, e-mail memorial@crazyhorse.org.

The weekly seasonal presentations will conclude August 26 with a song, story and dance program featuring Lakota mother and daughter Harriet Brings and Ailine Maea of Rapid City.

Crazy Horse Memorial is open every day, year-round, and is on U.S. Highway 16/385 between Hill City and Custer.

Crazy Horse Memorial will help the nation celebrate its 234th birthday with a 1 p.m. Fourth of July blast on the world’s largest mountain carving in progress.

Sunday’s blast will remove 1,500 tons in an area 300 feet below the top of Crazy Horse’s head. Please watch our webcams if you cannot attend in person.

This will be the latest engineered explosions that are roughly shaping the colossal horse’s head. At 219 feet tall, it will be the monument’s largest artistic detail.

Overall, the Crazy Horse Memorial carving will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high when completed.

CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – The Crazy Horse Memorial mountain carving on Saturday, June 26, will salute the wife of its founding sculptor and remember a historic event in the life of its legendary namesake.

The magnificent pyrotechnic show will mark the 84th birthday of “Mrs. Z,” Ruth Ziolkowski, and the 134th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Tasunke Witko, the Oglala Lakota war leader known as Crazy Horse, helped guide American Indian warriors in defeating cavalry troops on June 25, 1876, in Montana Territory.

Like the world’s largest carving in progress, the ceremonial night blast grows each year as it lights the mountain. Carving crew members take turns annually in coming up with a new pattern for the rapid-fire display that creates spectacular fireballs, pyrotechnical flashes and reverberating drum-like percussions.

The “Legends in Light” laser and light show will additionally highlight the evening’s program. “Legends” tells the story about Crazy Horse, Chief Henry Standing Bear, sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, Native American accomplishments and the nonprofit Memorial honoring their living heritage.

Those attending the June 26 festivities will be treated to free birthday cake following the laser show and night blast presentations, which begin at dark around 9:30 p.m.

After 6 p.m. Saturday, the Memorial gratefully accepts three cans of food per person for the KOTA Care and Share Food Drive in lieu of the regular admission fee.

The traditional night blast draws large crowds, and those planning to attend should anticipate heavy traffic in the vicinity of Crazy Horse and for parking at the Memorial to overflow from the paved lots at the visitor center to surrounding grassy areas on the Memorial’s campus.

Located on Crazy Horse Memorial Highway, U.S. 16/385 between Hill City and Custer, the Memorial opens at 7 a.m. every day during the summer.

For more information, call 605-673-4681, e-mail memorial@crazyhorse.org.

The mobile classroom, STARBASE Project NOVA, is back again this fall at Crazy Horse Memorial for another round of educational outreach.

Project NOVA  is sponsored by the South Dakota Air & Army National Guard and is part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Starbase initiative to help minority and rural students.  NOVA is short for “New Opportunities, Visions and Attitudes.”

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5^th annual Museum Day to be held Sept. 26

On Saturday, September 26, 2009 the Indian Museum of North America located at Crazy Horse Memorial will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine.

Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors.  A celebration of culture, learning and the dissemination of knowledge, Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, DC-based properties.

“Crazy Horse Memorial is honored to be part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day 2009,” said Anne Ziolkowski-Christensen, Director of Museums for the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.  “Our museum has an ever growing collection of Native American artifacts, and being part of the 2009 Museum Day helps increase awareness about the cultural and educational aspects of Crazy Horse Memorial” stated Ziolkowski-Christensen.

The Indian Museum of North America is home to an extraordinary collection of art and artifacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people.  Almost all of the items have been donated by generous individuals, including many Native Americans.  The museum, designed to complement the story being told in stone on the mountain, speaks eloquently to present and future generations about American Indian life.

Originally designed and built by Korczak Ziolkowski and his family, they were involved in all aspects of the museum construction to hold the cost to a minimum.  It was constructed from ponderosa pine which was harvested and milled at Crazy Horse.  The museum was dedicated on May 30, 1973.  It has expanded over the years and now houses three wings.

Last year, upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day.  All 50 states plus Puerto Rico were represented by 900 participating museums, including 84 Smithsonian affiliate museums.

Attendees must present Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Admission Card for free admission to participating institutions.  The admission card is downloadable at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.  Each card provides museum access for two people.  Only one admission card is permitted per household.  Listings and links to participating museums can also be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

Crazy Horse Memorial is a nonprofit educational and cultural project honoring all American Indians and is located on Highway 16/385 between Hill City and Custer.  For more information on the Memorial, please call 605.673.4681.

A full weekend of activities are planned at Crazy Horse Memorial September 5-7 to celebrate Labor Day weekend.

On Sunday September 6, the second and final night blast of the year will take place at Crazy Horse Memorial.  This event observes the dual anniversaries of the 1877 death of Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse and commemorates the birthday of the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski.

Boston-born Ziolkowski came to the Black Hills in 1947 to start work on the largest mountain carving in the world.   After 61 years, the project is showing accelerated progress, with one of the largest blasts in the project’s history taking place on August 19, 2009 removing 4,362 tons of rock.

The night blast will be part of the Labor Day weekend open-house at the Memorial.  As a thank you to our neighbors, the residents from South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska are admitted free on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to the Memorial with a suggested donation of three cans of food per person for the KOTA Care and Share Food Drive.

Preceding the night blast will be “Legends in Light” a multimedia laser light production.  It shows nightly at dark through Native American Day, October 12, 2009.  The laser show will begin at approximately 8:00 pm, followed immediately by the night blast.

Also as part of the weekend festivities, the winning ticket will be drawn for the 2008 custom detailed Harley-Davidson Street Glide.  The drawing will be take place at 3:00 pm on Sunday, September 6.  The pearl white bike has been on display at the Memorial since it was unveiled on September 6, 2008.  This is the fourth year the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation has sponsored a bike raffle fundraiser.  Tickets are one for $20 or three for $50 and may be purchased until 2:00 pm on September 6 at the Memorial or by calling 605.673.4681. All proceeds go to the project.

Terra Houska will present a program entitled “Lakota Dance & Regalia” on Thursday, August 27th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.

Terra Houska was born to Kathy Houska and Leo Bald Eagle.  She was raised in Rapid City and attended Haskell Indian Nations University.  Kay Franklin, a well known Southern Cloth Dancer, sparked Terra’s interest in dancing.  Following the loss of Terra’s grandmother, Lorene Bald Eagle Bear in 2004, Terra decided to dance to honor the life of her grandmother.

In 2006 Terra danced at the Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Following her return from Haskell, Terra danced at powwows around South Dakota.  She also dances in Oklahoma and Colorado. Terra designs her own regalia and constantly makes additions to it.  She tries to find designs that have meaning which represents her tribe and family.  Some of her ideas come from photographs from the 1800’s, especially of the Cheyenne.  Her family is Lakota, Bohemian, and also Cheyenne.

Terra’s great-grandfather Chief Joseph Paul Bald Eagle Bear was one of the first Native American’s to graduate from Princeton University after attending Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.  Joseph was in the first group of students at Carlisle with Luther Standing Bear.  Terra is employed as a Wildlife SCEP (Student Career Enhancement Program) by the U.S. Forest Service at Sundance, Wyoming.

There will be free admission to Crazy Horse Memorial for those attending this education program, with a suggested donation of 3 cans of food per person for the KOTA Care & Share Food Drive.  After the program please take the time to tour the complex and stay for the spectacular laser light show at dark.

This concludes the 2009 Crazy Horse Memorial Summer Performance & Lecture Series for this year, a series which began in 1996.

On Wednesday, August 19 at 2:00 pm, visitors to Crazy Horse Memorial will witness one of the largest blasts in the history of the project. Work continues on the horse’s head and Wednesday’s blast will remove 4,362 tons from the 300 bench. The 300 bench represents work being done 300 feet below the top of Crazy Horse’s head.

Blasts of this magnitude have been very rare in the project’s 61-year history. To provide some perspective, 4,362 tons is the equivalent of 363 dump truck loads of rock.

Crazy Horse Memorial is a nonprofit educational and cultural project honoring all American Indians. Located on Highway 16/385 between Hill City and Custer, it is just 17 miles SW of Mt. Rushmore. For more information on the Memorial, please call 605.673.4681.

CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Chris Ravenshead will present a program entitled “Perspectives on Lakota Quillwork” on Thursday, August 20th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.

Chris Ravenshead is originally from Belgium and came to South Dakota twenty years ago.  He lived on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation for seventeen years, before moving to the Black Hills.  While he lived on the reservation Chris learned Lakota humor and was encouraged to spend more time learning about the opinion and thought of elders.  From the elders, he learned the Lakota language, culture, and how to understand their way of life and thinking.

Chris traveled to many powwows and ceremonies, while learning to sing the Lakota songs and to understand the meaning of the songs.  Also through the elders, he learned the art of Lakota quillwork in the Lakota way while learning craftsmanship and designs. He designs and creates a variety of quillwork using materials and techniques of the 19^th century Lakota culture.  He is considered a purist at heart without the contemporary influences.  Some of his quillwork can be viewed at Akta Lakota Museum in Chamberlain and Prairie Edge in Rapid City.

Chris has come to love and respect the Lakota ways and was honored with the Hunka ceremony by his Hunka sister, Evelyn “Sissy” Goodhouse.  She is the wife of Cedric Goodhouse from the Standing Rock Reservation.  The  Lakota name given to Chris is Tasunke Ska (White Horse).

There will be free admission to Crazy Horse Memorial for those attending this education program, with a suggested donation of 3 cans of food per person for the KOTA Care & Share Food Drive.  After the program please take the time to tour the complex and stay for the spectacular laser light show at dark.

On August 27^th the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series will conclude with Terra Houska presenting “Lakota Dance & Regalia”.