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Crazy Horse News
From a rodeo to a Volksmarch, there are a variety of special events and activities throughout the year at Crazy Horse Memorial.
In addition to providing entertainment, many of our events also serve to educate our visitors on the Indian culture and heritage
of both yesterday and today. We hope you can join us for one of these activities.
To view our upcoming events please click here
Click here for more information about visiting Crazy Horse.
3:45 pm unveiling to be followed by a blast on the mountain
On Tuesday, August 4, Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation officials will take possession of a custom made motorcycle created by Eric Gorges with Voodoo Choppers out of Clinton Township, Michigan. The handcrafted bike also features a custom paint job with a Crazy Horse Memorial theme.
Gorges is the founder and owner of Voodoo Choppers, which began its custom made bike business in 1999. A friend of the Korczak and Ruth Ziolkowski family, Gorges donated the bike to the project to help with the Memorial’s fundraising efforts. Voodoo Choppers has been featured in several magazines and books spanning the globe, and primarily produces handcrafted and one-of-a-kind work. The unveiling of the bike will take place at 3:45 pm on the viewing veranda.
This bike represents the 5th annual bike raffle fundraiser sponsored by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. The exclusive bike will be on display in the Visitor Center. Tickets are one for $20 or three for $50. They may be purchased at the Memorial or by calling 605.673.4681.
The winning ticket will be drawn on Sept. 6, 2010, celebrating what would have been sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s 102nd birthday.
Following the bike presentation, visitors will be able to witness one of the biggest blasts of the season, removing 2,450 tons of rock off the mountain.
Wilbur Between Lodges will present “Lakota Thought & Philosophy” on Thursday, August 6th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Wilbur Between Lodges was born at Wanblee on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He attended school at Wanblee and at St. Francis, S.D. He served in the U.S. Army from 1962-1965. Later he attended Whiting Business College in Cleveland, Ohio, and Oglala Lakota College.
Wilbur will explain thought and philosophy of the Lakota along with songs which were composed for events in Lakota life. He will also explain the purpose and provide some examples of song. He is often assisted by his wife Cheryl who also provides vocal accompaniment. Wilbur is also a fluent Lakota speaker.
In April 1994 Wilbur was chosen to be a traditional chief. He has served the Oglala Sioux Tribe for many years as a councilman, Vice President of the tribe, Fifth Member of the tribe, and served as President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from 1994-1996 & Vice President/President in 1998-2000. He has also worked with the tribe in procurement and housing.
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 13th Mike He Crow will present and demonstrate “Traditional Lakota Art” during the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series.
Faye Longbrake will present “Lakota Family History” on Thursday, July 30th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Faye Longbrake is a semi-retired educator with over 21 years of teaching elementary school and 12 years in educational administration. She is a historian and also taught full-time for Oglala Lakota College. She was born during the CCC days and raised in Armstrong County where cattle and horses were plentiful, before it became fenced, and before areas became flooded as a result of the Oahe Dam.
Faye has been involved in civic affairs which include nine years on the Board of Directors for the South Dakota Hall of Fame and two three-year terms on the South Dakota Humanities Council. In 1994 Governor Walter Dale Miller appointed her as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. She served on Integrated Social Studies Curriculum Projects of the South Dakota Education Association and National Education Association. She is a member of the Ziebach County Historical Society and was an assistant in researching Ziebach County Rural Schools (1910-1978) which was published in 2002. For several years Faye served as a rodeo secretary and timer.
Faye believes she acquired good values of Lakota culture from her grandfather who voiced his views as a councilor on the first organized Indian Reorganization Act. Faye would also attend church gatherings at Green Grass, S.D. with her grandmother. Faye resides in Dupree, S.D and has three sons and a daughter.
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 6th Wilbur Between Lodges will present “Lakota Thought & Philosophy” during the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series.
Marcella Ryan LeBeau will present “World War II Experiences & Fool Soldier Band History” on Thursday, July 23rd at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Marcella Ryan LeBeau is a World War II veteran and member of the Two Kettle Lakota of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. She served as a nurse in World War II, becoming a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps.
Marcella was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2006 in the category of Professional. She was born in Promise, S.D., and is a descendant of Joseph Four Bear. Marcella was one of 100 U.S. World War II veterans to receive the French Legion of Honor Award in 2004 in Paris, at the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Her service in the Army took her to Wales, England, France and Belgium. She has spoken at many veterans’ events about her military experience in World War II.
Marcella is a founding member of the North American Indian Women’s Association. She retired as the director of nursing from her career of 31 years at Indian Health Services in Eagle Butte. She raised a family of eight children and is an advocate for the Lakota language and culture, youth, veterans, elderly, upholding treaties, and wellness.
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 July 30th, the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series will feature Faye Longbrake, presenting “Lakota Family History.”
For more information about the free Thursday night Summer Performance & Lecture Series, contact Anne Ziolkowski at (605) 673-4681.
C RAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Ernie LaPointe will present “Perspectives on Sitting Bull, by His Great Grandson” on Thursday, July 16th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Earnest (Ernie) LaPointe, a disabled Vietnam Veteran, was born in 1948 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota. He grew up in Rapid City, S.D. with his half-sister Marlene Little Spotted Horse. Their late mother Angelique LaPointe nee Spotted Horse was a housewife. His late father Claude LaPointe farmed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and worked in a lumber yard in Rapid City.
On his mothers side he is the great grandson of Sitting Bull and Seen By Her Nation Woman, grandson of Standing Holy (Sitting Bull’s youngest daughter) whose Christian name was Mary Sitting Bull, and Urban Spotted Horse. His grandfather Spotted Horse was the son of Hunts Enemy and the grandson of Chief Charging Bear. His great grandmother’s (Tokala Win LaPointe) brother was Chief Painted Horse.
Ernie LaPointe spoke at the induction of Sitting Bull into the Hall of Fame of American Indian Chiefs at Anadarko, Oklahoma, in 1992. He has presented at the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Monument in Montana; at universities in Michigan and Ohio; the Custer Celebration in Monroe, Michigan; and Fort St. Joseph Museum in Niles, Michigan. He has also lectured in Germany and Finland.
Ernie works with Go Native America Tours and has assisted the History Channel in two documentaries in 2004 and 2005. He was also featured on German TV in March, 2009.
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 July 23rd, the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series will feature Marcella Ryan LeBeau, presenting “World War II Experiences & Fool Soldier Band History”.
Crazy Horse Memorial – On Tuesday, July 14 at 10:30 am, Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation officials will hold a press conference at Crazy Horse to make a major gift announcement. The gift is being given by a long time friend of the Memorial, with the intended purpose of enhancing educational outreach at Crazy Horse.
It will be among the largest gifts in the project’s 61-year history.
“Over the years, we’ve been blessed with friends from all walks of life who believe in and support this project” said Mrs. Ruth Ziolkowski, President and CEO of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. “The extremely generous gift we are announcing is from a dear friend who is among those believers and wants to help with the educational component of Crazy Horse” Ziolkowski stated.
The 10:30 am announcement will include the donor, Governor Mike Rounds, Mrs. Ruth Ziolkowski and others. It will be followed by a blast on the mountain, which will remove 1,680 tons of rock.
Press conference participants will be available for interviews after the blast.
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Lorenzo Black Lance, artisan and educator will present “Sicangu Lakota Art” on Thursday, July 9th at 6 p.m. during the free Thursday Night Summer Performance & Lecture Series at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Lorenzo Black Lance was born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation and his Lakota name is A-nuk-a-sun Wam-bli (Golden Eagle). He has taught Native American Studies for 20 years in grades K-12 and on the college level. His work experiences include art teacher, Native American Studies Specialist, U.S. Probation Officer, Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court Administrator, and Executive Director/Vice President of Native American Heritage Association, a non-profit charity organization. As a Sicangu Lakota, Lorenzo Black Lance now lives in Rapid City, S.D.
Lorenzo has done documentaries for the countries of Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, and he has provided lectures throughout the U.S. on Native American art, Native American history, culture, song and dance, social systems, environment, as well as Native American contemporary events in today’s society.
Lorenzo Black Lance’s gift for art runs parallel with his love for teaching. As a Lakota and artist, he realizes all things are connected in a continuous cycle of unity. The Ghost Dance, Sun Dance and other Lakota rituals are all part of a continuous cycle that reappears in different forms at different times. The hopes and dreams of these rituals are not forgotten, they have only readjusted to today.
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 July 16th, the 2009 Summer Performance & Lecture Series will feature “Perspectives on Sitting Bull by his Grandson,” a program by Ernie LaPointe.
For more information about the free Thursday night Summer Performance & Lecture Series, contact Anne Ziolkowski at (605) 673-4681.
July 6-9, 2009
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – Enrollment is now open for the summer course Seminar in Lakota History 1840-1890, a Black Hills State University class offered at Crazy Horse Memorial. This class is a one (1) semester credit hour class which will be held over 4 days, starting Monday, July 6th through July 9th. The afternoon sessions are held from 1 p.m to 5 p.m.
AIS 490 Seminar in Lakota History will examine the history of the Lakota people along with major historical events in Lakota history during the time period of 1840-1890. The events and people will be studied, and will include area Black Hills field trips.
Article Source
It’s an exciting weekend at Crazy Horse Mountain. Friday marked Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s wife Ruth Ziokowski’s 83rd birthday and the 133rd anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Both events were celebrated with a night blast.
Dynamite blasts are fairly common at Crazy Horse, but there are only two night blasts each year. Both are done ceremoniously to celebrate the past while sculpting continues into the future.
With six decades of work recreating the image of this legendary Lakota leader, officials at Crazy Horse Memorial say it’s important to reflect on how far they’ve come.
“The family is hard working and the employees are hard working and to see others enjoy it once and awhile, it’s well worth it,” blaster Jeff Hermanson said.
Hermanson says crews have been preparing the mountain for days for the first night blast of the year. They’ve secured dynamite and cleared debris that may be harmful to the sculpture or dangerous to workers.
“Explosives are set off by shock. You have an explosive and rock falls on it, that’s shock. That explosive has a very good possibility of detonating,” Hermanson said.
Steps of precaution on a site that’s beautiful by day, and even more spectacular by night.
“I think it’s a celebration for a family that works their tails off and I think there should be maybe five or six each year as opposed to just two,” Hermanson said.
Available to meet public following July 4th blast
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL – On Saturday July 4, Crazy Horse Memorial will have the distinct privilege of having three Navajo Code Talkers as their honored guests.
The code talkers, Arthur J. Hubbard, Sr., Joseph Morris, Sr., and George B. Willie, Sr. will be able to witness a blast on the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. The Independence Day blast will take place at 11:00 am and will remove over 2,000 tons of rock.
Hubbard, Morris and Willie now hail from Arizona and California. They were part of a group of specifically trained Navajo boys selected to participate in the war efforts in the Pacific from 1942-1945. Without the help of these men, and over 400 other U.S. Marine Corps Navajo Code Talkers who used their native language to send coded messages, it has been said that the United States would not have defeated the Japanese.
Mrs. Ruth Ziolkowski, the CEO/President of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and wife of the late sculptor, said that “Korczak was a veteran of World War II, and had the utmost respect for anyone who fought for our country. He would be honored that we’re able to have the Navajo Code Talkers as our guest at Crazy Horse, especially on a day as fitting as July 4th” said Mrs. Ziolkowski.
Following the blast, the code talkers will be available to greet the public and sign posters in the Crazy Horse visitor center. The proceeds from poster sales will be used to help offset their travel expenses.
The code talkers will be honored guests at Mt. Rushmore for the annual Independence Day Celebration on July 3.
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 and upcoming events, please call 605.673.4681.
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