Crazy Horse was a Lakota Sioux, known as a fearless warrior and inspirational leader. Not only was he skilled in battle, but he also displayed exemplary character and loyalty to his people. He set high standards for care of the elderly, the ill, the widowed and the children. He devoted his life to serving his people and  preserving their culture.  He died at age 35, stabbed in the back under a sign of truce.  There are no known photographs or historically accurate likenesses of him.

 

The Crazy Horse memorial, the world's largest mountain sculpture, was  begun in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski and continues today.  When Ziolkowski died in 1982, his final words to his wife were  "You must work on the mountain -- but go slowly so you do it right."  60 years and the work still continues...

 

When completed the  sculpture will be 641 feet long and stand 563 feet high. Crazy Horse's completed head is over 87 feet high. Work is now focused on the horse's head, which  is 219 feet (22 stories) high. 

 

My interpretation of Crazy Horse began on a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota in the summer of 2000.  My wife and I took off for a trip around the US in our Coleman pop-up camper.  I was moved by the story of Crazy Horse and the dedication of the Ziolkowski family to spend several lifetimes building this monument to our Native American spirit.  I found a small pine burl in our campground outside of Rapid City. Limited in the number of tools I had with me, I began to whittle my vision of Crazy Horse with my pocket knife from the small pine burl. In some of the accounts of Crazy Horse, he was reported to have worn a Hawk on his head as he rode into battle.

 

The shawl of hickory burl was added later.  I pick up this piece from time to time and contemplate various changes or improvements, but very little change has occurred.  To be continued as the Spirit moves…..