The Black Hills Are Complicated and Magnificent

The Black Hills are a magnificent place with a complicated past. From Mount Rushmore to Crazy Horse and everywhere in-between, I see why man has worked so hard to claim these majestic hills for himself. Of all the places we have been so far, the Black Hills stirred something up inside me that I am going to try and unpack here. This place is much more than just its attractions.

Why are the Black Hills a magnificent place? The landscaping is beautiful, adorned with black bark trees, deep green tops, and treacherous rocky mountains everywhere you look. Part of its beauty comes from imagining how difficult it must have been to live here before modern times. I can’t imagine what life was like back before electricity, telephones, running water, paved roads, and Uber Eats. Those winters must have been brutal, and the people who survived them must have been remarkable. 

There are buffalo, mule and whitetail deer, big horn sheep, mountain goats, pronghorn, elk, and more. This part of the country is teeming with wildlife and it makes sense that many civilizations have called it home. I learned a lot about topography while in the Black Hills. This area was in part attractive because of the way the grasslands meet the rugged mountainous terrain. It was a busy intersection for animals that humans needed for food and survival.  

Why are the Black Hills complicated and storied? This area has seen a lot of bloodshed over the past 10,000 years, and I now have a better understanding of why. The Black Hills are full of wildlife, waterways, and refuge from the elements. All things you need as you build and maintain tribes and societies. As a leader, you must be able to provide food, water, and shelter to your tribe or everyone dies. 

The Indians that inhabited this place for roughly 10,000 years were at war with one another from one generation to the next. New tribes lay claim to the sacred Black Hills every few generations. While I was there I thought a lot about what I learned in school. Americans explored the west and South Dakota as they found places to settle, gold was also found here. It was really hard to think about what my ancestors did to gain control over the Black Hills. 

I know that civilization after civilization has lost their land to the next bigger and stronger nation, but it left me wondering why man has done that since the beginning of time. This place is so beautiful, and reading about the constant bloodshed over its control was difficult. Am I naive? Is it crazy to think that one day we might be able to truly coexist and work together as one human race? I digress.

What I want you to take away from this message is that the Black Hills of South Dakota are absolutely amazing. They invoke many different feelings and I encourage you to learn about the history that goes back almost 10,000 years in this region. 

What about modern-day tourism? Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse were both commissioned for similar purposes. Mount Rushmore was commissioned to bring tourism to South Dakota so we could learn about the area, and the men the monument was dedicated to. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. I have my own assumption as to what their placement really means. Yes, they were all great Americans, but I think it’s more. George Washington was a pioneer and visionary. Thomas Jefferson was brilliant and authored one of the most amazing documents, the Declaration of Independence. Then you have Theodore Roosevelt, a nature lover, and conservationist. And lastly, the man who represents freedom and equality of all people, Abraham Lincoln. I hope that as we continue to grow, we don’t forget our mistakes and keep our eyes on the beauty in nature and all mankind. 

The Crazy Horse Memorial was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear and dedicated to Crazy Horse and all Lakota people. Crazy Horse was a fierce warrior and was most notably known for his leadership at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Standing Bear decided to commission this memorial because he saw his culture and way of life being eradicated. He wanted his people to remember their heritage by having the Crazy Horse Memorial as a place to visit.

There is a lot more I could share about these two monuments. Both sculptures have quite interesting backgrounds, there is a school at Crazy Horse Memorial, and the circumstances surrounding Crazy Horse’s death are blogs all on their own. I encourage you to visit these beautiful places and learn more about the Black Hills of South Dakota.

My takeaway is that this country has magnificent places to see and learn about. Get out there, explore, learn, and grow, brazenly! 

Your Friend,

The Brazen Traveler