'Faces of the conquerors': Trump trip to Rushmore draws fire
Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump’s
But it comes amid a national reckoning over racism and a reconsideration of the symbolism of monuments around the globe. Many Native American activists say the
“Mount Rushmore is a symbol of white supremacy, of structural racism that’s still alive and well in society today,” said
While some activists, like Tilsen, want to see the monument removed altogether and the
Trump has long shown a fascination with
Some wildfire experts have raised concerns the pyrotechnics could spark fires, especially because the region has seen dry weather this year. Firefighters called in crews from two other states to help Thursday as a blaze consumed approximately 150 acres (61 hectares) about 6 miles (10 kilometers) south of the monument.
The four faces, carved into the mountain with dynamite and drills, are known as the “shrine to democracy.” The presidents were chosen by sculptor Gutzon Borglum for their leadership during four phases of American development: Washington led the birth of the nation; Jefferson sparked its westward expansion; Lincoln preserved the union and emancipated slaves; Roosevelt championed industrial innovation.
And yet, for many Native American people, including the Lakota,
As monuments to Confederate and colonial leaders have been removed across
Tim Giago, a journalist who is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, said he doesn’t see four great American leaders when he looks at the monument, but instead four white men who either made racist remarks or initiated actions that removed
The monument has long been a “Rorschach test," said
The monument often starts conversations on the paradox of American democracy — that a republic that promoted the ideals of freedom, determination and innovation also enslaved people and drove others from their land, he said.
“If we’re having this discussion today about what American democracy is,
The monument was conceived in the 1920s as a tourist draw for the new fad in vacationing called the road trip.
Borglum was a member of the
Native American activists have long staged protests at the site to raise awareness among the history of the
“What people find here is the story of America — it's multidimensional, it's complex,” Griffith said. “It’s important to understand it was people just trying to do right as best they knew it then.”
The
This story has been corrected to show the name of the group is
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