Thoughtful Thursday: Bison and the Lakota

 [Bison, a big bull, left, and a cow. Rutting is starting. Custer State Park, SD, July 29, 2015. Click to enlarge photos.]

[The modern white man's view.]

[Crazy Horse Memorial, SD, July 29, 2015.  Breathtaking.  On private land, with private (non-federal, non-state) funds. When completed, it will be the world's largest sculpture.  The four presidential heads at Rushmore would fit where Crazy Horse's head is. The completed sculpture will show Crazy Horse mounted on his horse, pointing as if to say, “My lands are where my dead lie buried.” This photo was taken from approximately one mile away with 420mm worth of lens, uncropped. Note the people at the right side of the photo for scale. When I first visited Mount Rushmore ten years ago, it had a surprising impact on me (in part because Teddy Roosevelt, my hero, is one of the four presidents on the mountain.) Crazy Horse Memorial impacted me perhaps even more.]

[What the memorial will ultimately look like.]