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Its been nearly 60 years in the making and its still not even close to being finished.  Crazy Horse Mountain was a huge undertaking when Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski first started the project.  Now with him long gone, his children wonder if the project will be finished in their lifetime.  Amazing photos.

Without Korczak there would be no Crazy Horse Memorial. Its history always will revolve around his own extraordinary story, which is reflected in his log studio-home, workshop and sculptural galleries at Crazy Horse. His life and work are an inspiration to many, especially to young people.

Although he became most famous as a mountain carver, he was a noted studio sculptor and member of the National Sculpture Society before he came west. Crazy Horse represents only the second half of his life, and he said it was the collective experience of the difficult first half of his life which prepared him for Crazy Horse and which enabled him to prevail over the decades of financial hardship and racial prejudice he encountered trying to create an Indian memorial in the Black Hills.

Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest sculpture, now in progress, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota on US Highway 16/385 just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore. The work was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski at the request of Native Americans. Korczak died in 1982. His wife, Ruth, and their family continue the project working with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.

Determined to lead their peoples’ resistance against white takeover of their land, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull forged a coalition of indigenous fighters, and crushed five units of U.S. General George Custers’ cavalry at the Battle of Little Big Horn.