Pictured left to right: Caleb Ziolkowski, Whitney Rencountre II, Joe Konkol
Crazy Horse Memorial® is the largest in-progress mountain carving in the world. The carving of Lakota hero Crazy Horse is a breathtaking feat of art and engineering that has inspired countless visitors. The Mountain is a remarkable achievement, and progress can be observed each time one visits the Memorial. The Dream of Crazy Horse Memorial® started when Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote a letter to famed sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, asking him to carve a Memorial honoring the Indigenous people of North America. The two exchanged correspondence for years, with the first blast on the Mountain happening in 1948. The mission of Crazy Horse Memorial® has been faithfully upheld for all of those years and will continue to be kept for generations to come.
Chief Executive Officer of Crazy Horse Memorial®, Whitney Rencountre II, described what that mission is: “Our mission is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and Living Heritage of the North American Indians. We advance our mission through the Mountain, which attracts people from all over the world. When those people are here, then we get to share the arts, traditions and culture through the Indian Museum of North America®.”
Caleb Ziolkowski, Chief Mountain Executive, added to that thought and said, “The initial request by Chief Henry Standing Bear was to carve a mountain so that the whole world knows that Native Americans have great heroes, too. But I think it didn’t take long for everyone to realize that even though the Mountain that we’re carving is quite large, that the vision and the mission are even bigger.”
One of those big ideas at the Memorial is The Indian University of North America®. Whitney explained, “Native American students get to come here and prepare for higher education and their life and they get the tools that they need to thrive.” The Indian University of North America® was started in 2010. Students are encouraged to dream big and set goals worthy of their highest potential and how to navigate college while also completing a semester of college in a worldly setting. In addition to the University, Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation has awarded over $2 million in scholarships to students.
“The overarching goal is to really help people understand Native Americans,” Caleb said. “And to help people come to a new realization of the Living Heritage of the Native Americans — to understand more about their history and their lives in the present day. The Mountain, in some ways, is the easiest thing that we’re doing.”
Chief Financial Officer, Joe Konkol, echoed Caleb’s sentiment about the Memorial’s perpetual mission. “What I tell people is that, someday, the Mountain will be done,” he said. “The University will continue to grow and the Museum will continue to expand. But, Crazy Horse Memorial® will never truly be finished because it will always be our mission to educate the public about the Living Heritage of the Native Americans.”
12151 Avenue of the Chiefs
Crazy Horse, SD 57730-8900