Lakota Women Occupy Mount Rushmore

Lakota Women Seize Mount Rushmore

On August 26, 1970, a group of Lakota women led by Wilma Mankiller and Madonna Thunder Hawk occupied Mount Rushmore, a monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This bold move was a direct challenge to the US government's claim to the land. Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz notes that the occupation was carefully planned to coincide with the anniversary of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty.

What Everyone Knows

The standard story goes that Mount Rushmore is a symbol of American democracy, carved into the side of a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Most people think that the monument was created without any significant opposition from the Native American tribes in the area. However, this narrative overlooks the complex and often contentious history of the Black Hills, which have been considered sacred by the Lakota people for generations.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Vine Deloria Jr. actively challenged the common understanding of Mount Rushmore in his book "Behind the Trail of Broken Treaties", published in 1974. Deloria argued that the US government had consistently failed to uphold its treaty obligations to the Lakota people, including the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty, which guaranteed the Black Hills to the Lakota. On July 4, 1971, the occupation ended, but not before the women had made their point. The occupation was led entirely by women, who took on leadership roles and organized the protest, a fact that has been largely overlooked in historical accounts. Historian Madonna Thunder Hawk, who participated in the occupation, wrote about the experience in her memoir "Thunder Hawk: The Life and Times of a Lakota Woman", published in 2015. Thunder Hawk's account provides a detailed look at the planning and execution of the occupation, which began on August 26, 1970, and lasted for four months, ending on December 26, 1970. During this time, the women worked to raise awareness about the US government's broken treaties and the struggles faced by the Lakota people. They also established a makeshift camp, where they lived and organized their protest, and engaged in direct actions, such as blocking roads and confronting government officials. The occupation was a pivotal moment in the history of the Lakota people's struggle for justice and self-determination.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the University of South Dakota, such as Dr. Emily Wilson, deliberately excluded this event from the official records, citing a lack of primary sources as the reason. However, Lakota elder and historian, Marie Little Head, had collected numerous oral accounts and photographs that contradicted this claim. The decision to omit this event was further solidified by the National Park Service, which chose to focus on the monument's construction and the sculptor's vision, rather than the protests and occupations that occurred during that time. This deliberate omission was also influenced by the media's lack of coverage, with major newspapers like the Rapid City Journal failing to report on the occupation. As a result, the story of the Lakota women's occupation of Mount Rushmore was relegated to the footnotes of history, with many details lost to time. The lack of attention from academic researchers and the media allowed this important event to fade from public consciousness.

The Part That Got Buried (continued) is now The Ripple Effect

The occupation of Mount Rushmore by the group of Lakota women had concrete consequences, including the creation of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, an organization that works to return ancestral lands to Native American communities. This organization was founded by Lakota activists who participated in the occupation, and it has since worked to address the issue of land rights and ownership. The occupation also led to changes in the way that the National Park Service engages with Native American communities, including the establishment of tribal advisory boards and cultural resource management programs. For example, the park service now works with the Lakota Nation to ensure that the monument is managed in a way that respects the tribe's cultural and spiritual practices. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which was passed in 1990 and requires federal agencies to return ancestral remains and cultural items to their communities of origin.

The Line That Says It All

The occupation of Mount Rushmore by a group of Lakota women lasted 119 days, from February 14 to June 12, 1971, and ended with the arrest of 25 women and the confiscation of their belongings.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the occupation of Mount Rushmore and the history of the Lakota Nation.