Mount Rushmore’s History and Future
Essential Questions: Do the geological features of Mount Rushmore justify the theft and desecration of Native American land? What should the future of Mount Rushmore be?
Standards:
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
Stability and Change (CCC)
Photo: Indian Country Today
Depending on whom you ask, Mount Rushmore is either a monument of American greatness or a desecration of Native American history and spirituality. The Black Hills of the South Dakota were Sioux territory until the 1870s when the federal government stole the land after gold had been found in the area. Doane Robinson, the original proponent for the idea, had envisioned bolstering tourism to South Dakota by carving key figures of the West such as Lewis and Clark and Lakota leader Red Cloud to be carved at a different site called the “Needles.” He recruited white sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who ultimately decided to carve the monument of four U.S. presidents in its current location in the Black Hills. Borglum reportedly selected the location because the granite rock is more durable than the surrounding schist and the Southeast face receives maximum sun exposure. After the construction, Ogalala Lakota Chief Standing Bear wrote to Borglum and government officials asking for a similar monument to Lakota hero Chief Crazy Horse. Having received no response, he privately funded the construction of the Crazy Horse Memorial, which remains under construction today.
Photo: Getty Images
While the Mount Rushmore site was selected with longevity in mind, the rock is not immune to wind and water erosion as well as frost wedging. The tough granite also contains seams of pegmatite, which is much more vulnerable to cracking. The project has also involved changing the natural makeup of the rock. To prevent the decay of the sculpture, Borglum originally sealed the rock with linseed oil and currently cracks are being filled with silicon to keep out water.
Students can study the geologic, environmental and human history of Mount Rushmore. They may also create a proposal for the future of Mount Rushmore that weighs historical, cultural, and natural concerns.
