Carving a mountain
23/05/14 04:51
Although this is my 20th summer in the Black Hills, I have to confess that I don’t really understand the art of mountain carving. The famous sculptures at Mt. Rushmore are clearly our signature claim to fame. People from all around the world will mention Mt. Rushmore when I mention that I hail from Rapid City. The faces are impressive. We take guests to visit them whenever we are able. I enjoy looking at the displays in the artist’s studio and learning about the process that produced the gigantic monument. Over the years I have learned more of the story of how Doane Robinson found the sculptor Gutzon Borglum and Peter Norbeck and William Williamson got the legislation to allow the carving. I have met some of the more than 400 workers who were a part of the project. The main carving took 14 years to be completed. About 90% of the carving was done with dynamite. From there it was jackhammers and other pretty heavy industrial equipment.
These days the monument is lit at night and is the backdrop for politicians. It is an impressive undertaking.
A few miles away, at Crazy Horse Mountain, the scale of the mountain carving is even more impressive. Creating a 3-dimensional sculpture by carving an entire mountain is ambitious to say the least. One story that I’ve been told is that the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski originally wanted to carve one of the Tetons in Wyoming, but was persuaded by Lakota elders to situate the project in the Black Hills. Not long after the completion of Mt. Rushmore, Ziolkowski began the slow process of building roads and preparing for the carving of the mountain. There were times when he was working on his dream alone with very little financial backing. Over the years, the project gained more supporters and the sculpture began to emerge from the mountain. After Korczak died in 1982, his widow, Ruth took over active management of the project and provided the energy and enthusiasm for it to expand. Many of their ten children worked on the mountain. Ruth worked with others to establish a foundation that is a very effective fund-raising and provides lasting support for the project that will take many more years to complete.
Ruth’s death on Wednesday represents a turning point in the project. I am sure that her memorial service will be a significant event in the story of the hills. Now the mountain carving goes fully into the next generation. Perhaps never agin will the project be associated with a single person at the head. The Foundation will continue to elect officers and select new generations of board members. The project will continue to provide jobs and the carving will proceed, but it won’t be the same. Of course people said the same thing about Korczak’s death and that did not stop the work on the mountain. Ruth was a visionary. I’m confident that she put in place what is required for the work to continue.
I am intrigued by the project simply because I believe that there are many things in life that are worthy of multi-generational efforts. Our people have been at the business of forging our relationship with God for thousands of years and it is clear that we do not fully understand all of the ramifications of that relationship in our generation. Future generations will continue to grow and learn and live with God.
American democracy is a relatively new institution. The flood of pilgrims and settlers that began in the 16 and 17th centuries gave rise to the incredible experiment of creating a modern democracy in the end of the 18 century. Now, a little more than 200 years later it is evident that the visions of the founders are only partially fulfilled and that much work remains in forging this “new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Perhaps the highest and best efforts of humans are those that cannot be completed in a single generation. Certainly these monumental tasks are worthy of our dedication, commitment and passion.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if time doesn’t somehow diminish the fervor and passion that occurs among the founders. At least it seems like there aren’t many in the present generation who are willing to give up everything in pursuit of a dream that cannot be accomplished in their lifetime. There is such a societal pressure to choose goals that can be accomplished in shorter amounts of time. Success and failure is often judged by what occurs in a single decade. Were we to have judged the Crazy Horse mountain carving by what was accomplished in the first decade, we might have concluded that the project was doomed to failure.
I’m not sure how many volunteers we would get these days for a venture that promised no personal wealth or recognition and that could not be accomplished within one’s life span. I know it isn’t my place to judge the workers currently on the mountain. I don’t know their motives. I’m sure that there are reasons other than the paycheck that keep them involved in the project. But Ruth’s passing does seem to be the end of the era of a particular form of dedication and commitment.
It will take more than the present generation to complete the mountain carving. And it will take many more generations before humans have the historical perspective to evaluate the significance of the effort. Is it worth it? I don’t know. And I don’t think I’ll know in my lifetime. I do know that Ruth Ziolkowski believed it was worth it. I do know that we’ll miss her in this part of the world. But I also know that she won’t be forgotten and that her legacy is assured for generations yet unborn.
I don’t really understand it. But it doesn’t require my understanding. And the carving of the mountain doesn’t diminish my appreciation for mountains that haven’t been carved. It’s hard to watch the sun set behind the Tetons in Wyoming and think that the scene could be improved upon. I’m glad that Korczak was persuaded not to carve the Grand. Still, I keep paying attention to the mountain he did start to carve.
These days the monument is lit at night and is the backdrop for politicians. It is an impressive undertaking.
A few miles away, at Crazy Horse Mountain, the scale of the mountain carving is even more impressive. Creating a 3-dimensional sculpture by carving an entire mountain is ambitious to say the least. One story that I’ve been told is that the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski originally wanted to carve one of the Tetons in Wyoming, but was persuaded by Lakota elders to situate the project in the Black Hills. Not long after the completion of Mt. Rushmore, Ziolkowski began the slow process of building roads and preparing for the carving of the mountain. There were times when he was working on his dream alone with very little financial backing. Over the years, the project gained more supporters and the sculpture began to emerge from the mountain. After Korczak died in 1982, his widow, Ruth took over active management of the project and provided the energy and enthusiasm for it to expand. Many of their ten children worked on the mountain. Ruth worked with others to establish a foundation that is a very effective fund-raising and provides lasting support for the project that will take many more years to complete.
Ruth’s death on Wednesday represents a turning point in the project. I am sure that her memorial service will be a significant event in the story of the hills. Now the mountain carving goes fully into the next generation. Perhaps never agin will the project be associated with a single person at the head. The Foundation will continue to elect officers and select new generations of board members. The project will continue to provide jobs and the carving will proceed, but it won’t be the same. Of course people said the same thing about Korczak’s death and that did not stop the work on the mountain. Ruth was a visionary. I’m confident that she put in place what is required for the work to continue.
I am intrigued by the project simply because I believe that there are many things in life that are worthy of multi-generational efforts. Our people have been at the business of forging our relationship with God for thousands of years and it is clear that we do not fully understand all of the ramifications of that relationship in our generation. Future generations will continue to grow and learn and live with God.
American democracy is a relatively new institution. The flood of pilgrims and settlers that began in the 16 and 17th centuries gave rise to the incredible experiment of creating a modern democracy in the end of the 18 century. Now, a little more than 200 years later it is evident that the visions of the founders are only partially fulfilled and that much work remains in forging this “new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Perhaps the highest and best efforts of humans are those that cannot be completed in a single generation. Certainly these monumental tasks are worthy of our dedication, commitment and passion.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if time doesn’t somehow diminish the fervor and passion that occurs among the founders. At least it seems like there aren’t many in the present generation who are willing to give up everything in pursuit of a dream that cannot be accomplished in their lifetime. There is such a societal pressure to choose goals that can be accomplished in shorter amounts of time. Success and failure is often judged by what occurs in a single decade. Were we to have judged the Crazy Horse mountain carving by what was accomplished in the first decade, we might have concluded that the project was doomed to failure.
I’m not sure how many volunteers we would get these days for a venture that promised no personal wealth or recognition and that could not be accomplished within one’s life span. I know it isn’t my place to judge the workers currently on the mountain. I don’t know their motives. I’m sure that there are reasons other than the paycheck that keep them involved in the project. But Ruth’s passing does seem to be the end of the era of a particular form of dedication and commitment.
It will take more than the present generation to complete the mountain carving. And it will take many more generations before humans have the historical perspective to evaluate the significance of the effort. Is it worth it? I don’t know. And I don’t think I’ll know in my lifetime. I do know that Ruth Ziolkowski believed it was worth it. I do know that we’ll miss her in this part of the world. But I also know that she won’t be forgotten and that her legacy is assured for generations yet unborn.
I don’t really understand it. But it doesn’t require my understanding. And the carving of the mountain doesn’t diminish my appreciation for mountains that haven’t been carved. It’s hard to watch the sun set behind the Tetons in Wyoming and think that the scene could be improved upon. I’m glad that Korczak was persuaded not to carve the Grand. Still, I keep paying attention to the mountain he did start to carve.