Question

In light of what you've learned about the history conflicts between American Indian nations and the U.S. government, what is your opinion of the creation of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial?

Answer 1

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial holds different meanings for American society and the Native American tribes, particularly the Lakota Sioux, for whom the site is sacred. Conflicts such as the seizure of Black Hills contributed to a long history of disputes over the land, which continue to impact perceptions of the monument today.

Step-by-step explanation:

The creation of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is deeply contested when considered against the history of conflicts between American Indian nations and the U.S. government. The monument, which showcases the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, was sculpted on a site sacred to the Lakota Sioux. Conflicts in the 1870s, such as those leading to the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn where Custer made his 'last stand', stemmed from broken treaties and the seizure of lands like the Black Hills after the discovery of gold.

Throughout history, different Indian nations such as the Lakota Sioux, Prairie Pottawatomi, Modoc, Apache, Nez Perce, Utes, and Navajo experienced varied conflicts and forms of oppression, primarily due to differing responses to colonial encroachments, variations in geographic locations, and their relationships with the U.S. government. Significant events, like the occupation of Mount Rushmore by the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1971, highlight ongoing disputes over sacred lands and the monument's representation that contradicts the respect for the sacredness of the site to the Sioux people.

In conclusion, assessing the creation and representation of Mount Rushmore requires understanding the complexities of Native American dispossession and historical grievances, acknowledging the monument's significance to American identity, and recognizing the continued fight for Native sovereignty and the repatriation of sacred places.

Answer 2

The creation of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial has been a symbol of colonization for the native Indian tribes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a landmark that evokes intense feelings among the American people but for native Indians, it reminded them of a much deeper legacy of colonization. In the Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. government allowed the Sioux tribe unrestrained use and occupation of the land, including the Black Hills. But when the gold mines were discovered there Sioux people were again forced to leave their sacred land.