More in amazing South Dakota

We started today with a drive to see wildlife and saw pronghorn antelope, buffaloes with lots of brand new calves, burros, deer, turkeys,...

Then we went full cowboy in the Dakota hills--- Joy rode Wild Bill; I rode Ghost

Then we went to the Crazy Horse site, which has an excellent Native American museum as well. This next one was astonishing-- see the certificate--- it claims to be some of the original beads used by the Dutch to buy Manhatten: the folklore is true?!!!

Crazy Horse Mountain is an unbelievable story-- a talented young sculpture working on Mount Rushmore was approached by several indian chiefs to make a similar mountain tribute to an indian hero. The sculpture accepted in 1948 and spent the next 40 years carving away half the mountain to get the rough stone shape to work with. Seven of his children and his wife worked with him and continued the effort after he died. It took 11 more years to carve the face (completed in 1998). It will take several generations to complete the work. In the photo below, compare the untouched left side of the symmetrical mountain with the mostly-dynamite-carved right side. The mountain has been thinned as well as shaped---the hole through seems to be a confidence builder, that meaningful progress is happening. The white paint lines are for the start on the horse's head and ear. Look at the model sculpture farther below.

To have generations of people dedicate their life work to a monument that will last as long as the pyramids is something!