TED-Ed: The dark history of Mount Rushmore | Ned Blackhawk and Jeffrey D. Means

Mount Rushmore, carved between 1927 and 1941, is a monument in South Dakota's Black Hills. It attracts millions of visitors but has a controversial history. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota people, who were promised the land in an 1868 treaty. However, the US government broke the treaty after gold was discovered, leading to conflict and the illegal seizure of the land. Mount Rushmore was carved into a sacred Lakota site, led by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who had ties to the KKK. The monument features US presidents with anti-Indigenous legacies. In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled the Black Hills were unlawfully taken, offering compensation, which the Sioux Nation refused. The future of Mount Rushmore is debated, with some calling for its removal and others advocating for co-management of the land.

How did the construction of Mount Rushmore affect the Lakota people and their beliefs?

What are the differing opinions regarding the future of Mount Rushmore among the Lakota and other stakeholders?