III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 496 

Honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the carving of the 

Crazy Horse Memorial. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 2, 2008 

Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. JOHNSON) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the 

carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial. 

Whereas sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who never received any 

formal art training but nonetheless won 1st place for 

sculpture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, came 

to the Black Hills of South Dakota as an assistant to 

Gutzon Borglum to help carve Mount Rushmore; 

Whereas Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear contacted 

Korczak Ziolkowski in 1939 to encourage him to create 

another mountain memorial, saying in his letter of invitation: ‘‘My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man 

to know the red man has great heroes, too’’; 

Whereas Crazy Horse was remembered by his people as a 

fierce warrior and visionary leader who was committed to 

preserving the traditional Lakota way of life; 


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•SRES 496 IS 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski was inspired to honor the culture, tradition, and living heritage of North American Indians, and thus designed a metaphoric tribute to the spirit of Crazy Horse and his people; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski was dedicated as well to helping 

his country preserve freedom, enlisted in the Army, and 

was wounded in 1944 at Omaha Beach; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski returned to South Dakota after 

World War II in order to find a suitable mountain to 

carve in order to honor Crazy Horse and his people; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski and Chief Standing Bear dedicated the Crazy Horse Memorial on June 3, 1948; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski worked until his death in 1982, 

and his wife, Ruth, and their family have dedicated their 

lives to carving the mountain and continuing the mission 

of the Crazy Horse Memorial; 

Whereas there is no way to predict when the mountain carving will be completed, owing to the uncertainty of weather, the availability of private funding, and the challenges 

of mountain engineering; 

Whereas, when completed, the Crazy Horse mountain carving 

will be the largest carving in the world, at 641 feet long 

by 563 feet high; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski’s parting words to his wife were, 

‘‘You must work on the mountain—but go slowly so you 

do it right’’; 

Whereas the Ziolkowski family and the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation have continued to do it right, have proceeded without government financial support, and remain 

dedicated to making steady progress on the Memorial’s 

humanitarian goals; and 


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•SRES 496 IS 

Whereas the Crazy Horse Memorial will celebrate the 60th 

anniversary of the dedication of the mountain carving on 

June 3, 2008: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate, on the 60th anniversary 

2 of the commencement of the mountain carving of the 

3 Crazy Horse Memorial, honors sculptor Korczak 

4 Ziolkowski, the Ziolkowski family, and the Crazy Horse 

5 Memorial Foundation for their dedication to honoring the 

6 culture, tradition, and living heritage of North American 

7 Indians and the spirit of Crazy Horse and his people. 

Æ 


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