A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow

 it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.

 I was hostile to the white man...

We preferred hunting to a life of idleness on our reservations.

At times we did not get enough to eat, and we were not allowed to hunt.

All we wanted was peace and to be left alone.

Soldiers came and destroyed our villages. Then Long Hair (Custer) came...

They say we massacred him, but he would have done the same to us.

                                                    Crazy Horse/Tashunkewitko, Oglala Sioux

Another place we visited on our recent trip West,

Was probably one of the many stops that I liked best.

It’s the gigantic, in progress, Crazy Horse Monument,

And both Rebecca and I are very happy we went.

I’m also extremely pleased that a fellow Polish American

Was the sculptor hired by the Lakota Sioux tribesmen.

They wanted a monument that would fill their hearts with glee,

And the sculptor they chose was Bostonian Korczak Ziolkowski.

He was hired by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear back in 1942,

Who wanted whites to know that Native Americans have heroes, too.

Crazy Horse was chosen for this magnificent sculptured tribute face,

Because at the Little Big Horn, he valiantly attempted to save his race.

Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull convinced several plains tribes to muster,

And in an epic battle, they defeated General George Armstrong Custer.

After the battle, Sitting Bull and many others fled north to Canada,

But Crazy Horse stayed, and he was imprisoned in Nebraska.

While he was there, he was met with a most foul attack,

A United States soldier bayoneted him in the back.

Crazy Horse died when he was only 35 years old,

But his legend lives on – and it will always be told.

Korczak Ziolkowski worked on this sculpture for nearly 50 years,

Toiling and chiseling every day through his blood, sweat, and tears.

He died in 1982, when the sculpture was far from completed,

His children now vow that his vision will not be defeated.

They have continuously refused any government subsidation,

And the project is financed through admissions and donations.

It may be another 50 years before this sculpture is completed,

But when it’s finally finished, it will be a treasure much needed.

Native Americans have truly been wronged in our great nation,

Yet they steadfastly cling to their ancient heritage without cessation.

They cherish Mother Earth, and they only use what they need,

They respect all life forms, and they have very little greed.

I’ve been fascinated with Native American culture all of my life,

I even fell in love with an Apache Indian, and made her my wife.

And although Rebecca is much more of a city person than I will ever be,

This Monument will make all Native Americans proud of their noble ancestry.

The Crazy Horse Monument is located in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota,

Only a few miles from Mount Rushmore.

When finally completed, Crazy Horse will sit astride a gigantic horse, pointing

One arm toward his beloved Black Hills homeland. 

At this point in time, only the face has been completed, and all four Presidential heads on Mt. Rushmore would easily fit inside Crazy Horse’s head alone.

The monument site also houses a fabulous Native American Historical Museum, with many magnificent paintings, sculptures, and sacred Indian artifacts donated by Native American tribes throughout the country.

The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, was a prolific artist who won the prize for sculpture at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.  He is survived by his wife and 10 children – 7 of whom still carry on their father’s epic work.

Mr. Ziolkowski is buried in a tomb at the bottom of the gigantic 600-foot high Crazy Horse Monument.