Less than a twenty minute drive away is the perfect "chaser" to Mt. Rushmore. Did you go to the Crazy Horse Memorial? We have been there twice and spent 3-4 hours each time. Fabulous museum, dance performances, history, all about the Indigenous in the area. It counteracts the Rushmore narrative and well worth a visit. Every tourist should see it.
Felt Nothing at Rushmore. Only spent 20 min after paying thru the nose for parking. Looks just like the post card, haha. Took one photo from the list of people who worked on it cuz the person had my husband's first and last name.
Absolutely fair point, Tami. There's a huge risk when I leave the "White Americans" after we implicit rather than explicit, regardless of whether I'm trying to address a specific audience. Appreciate you a ton and sorry for the impact of that rhetorical choice.
First, Garrett, I appreciate the shout-out! Second, this footnote from the introduction to the book, "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility" addresses how "we" is used between the covers, but also speaks to its use pert near everywhere, I think:
"The word "we" is both problematic and necessary, so at the outset I want to acknowledge that not everyone is part of any version of 'we.' This book was put together with young people and newcomers to the climate movement in mind, with an expectation that most readers would be in the US and Global North. Even there, the differences matter--between Indigenous and settler, rich and poor, people who have lost homes and lives to the climate crisis and those who think of it as largely in the future. But there's also the "we" that is all humanity, all who are impacted, and all beings alive now and yet to come. So, take this "we" with a grain of salt and allow some latitude for the necessity and inadequacy of the categories that make up language." – Rebecca Solnit
Solnit is incredible and hell yeah to this quote. Yes, yes, yes to "both problematic and necessary" and to all the dynamics (both helpful and reductive/dangerous) in that single word. Thanks for sharing it Chris (and thanks again for your piece, which has stayed with me this whole week).
“We have received shocking news at Moms for Liberty headquarters of high school students across the country identifying as “best friends” or “Caleb” and asking districts to accommodate them”
I love this so much (have had it open for 2 weeks before really being able to dive in). I appreciate so much the real-life struggle of grappling with troubling "monuments" that have destroyed sacred Native land while also participating in them as tourists.
Also, as an aside: the whole Portland-has-gone-to-hell narrative from the Butte-dude makes me so frustrated, but it really shows the power of a one-sided narrative that has seeped into both left and right-wing fantasies. It's so funny how outsiders who never set foot there have created this vision of this place. There's a lot of negative rhetoric from locals as well (usually those who never venture downtown), but it's tiresome. Alas, there's often no getting through that. Although many a Spokane resident who's asked me in a pitying tone "How's Portland?" have been treated to a not-so-kind "Portland is just fine! It's fine! We love it, don't listen to the news about it." LOl.
Really awesome read, I always like when I can connect to an author in some way! I grew up in a small Montana town outside of Billings and was taught a lot of local native history. One of my favorite places growing up was Pompeys Pillar. I can't think too long about how much Montana has changed without getting real bummed out but it'll always be home no matter where I am.
My wife and I visited Mount Rushmore a few years ago for the first time and were equally disappointed for mostly the same reasons: knowing it’s a pointless monument created by a white supremacist, built on stolen land. I was also disappointed by the glorification of Borglum with nary a mention of his shitty beliefs. I agree with other commenters that the Crazy Horse Memorial nearby is a much better experience.
That (all the non-caveated tributes to Borglum) was one of the most confounding parts of the experience! I think I was expecting some sort of explanatory caveat (like the blurb that HBO Max runs before Gone With The Wind or that other National Park sites do with perfunctory land acknowledgments), but there was nothing on Borglum being a problematic dude. It definitely added to the "there is a protective bubble here that we can't smash, otherwise the faux-solemnity of the experience will be lost" feeling.
So my late brother wound up as an operations mgr at a NASCAR track at one point, because he had an events background, and one day his friend who ran the parking crew called my cell. "OH MY GOD," she said. "Why didn't anyone tell me about Mt. Rushmore?!" What do you mean, I asked, wondering what about Mt. Rushmore she was calling about. "No one told me it was sacred! To the Indians! And they carved these presidents on it!" This was not a lefty. But even Sally, when confronted with the sheer magnitude of the middle finger that is Mt. Rushmore, absolutely got it.
And this has been my hope about the place ever since.
On the other hand, if you wanted to hear Lee Greenwood, we got it blasted into our houses here in Livingston from the rodeo grounds and their infernal new speaker system ...
Charlotte I would 100% read a long piece from you about all the indignities of a Livingston summer circa 2023, including the rodeo sound system.
As for your primary comment, I think that nails one of the things that fascinated me most about Mount Rushmore- it’s not a deep critical theory take for White peoe to realize that it’s a big middle finger (and how obvious that is to so many does give me hope) and yet the desire for its comfort is more important than doing anything about it.
I nearly got punched at the parade for yelling Fuck You at the Trump float. White goatee guy was deeply pissed off. (I fought a lot of boys in my childhood, so guys like that get confused when my 5' grey-haired self gives them the "bring it on asshole" stance). And my friends in the local gentry seemed equally horrified that I wasn't being polite for the tourism dollars. I had to go home. I think I'm done with the parade forever.
I'm noodling with an essay on social class, tourism and gentrification -- and my creeping realization I was fundamentally mistaken about where I moved to all those years ago. So keep an eye out ...
I’m so sorry for all the ways that Livingston is breaking your heart but it also makes me so happy to know all the ways you’re standing up for what you love about the place (however the offended gentry and ornery Trumpers feel about it).
Also, thanks for the encouraging word on the rants. I'm trying to figure out some more coherent way to talk about all this other than "I hate this! My hair's on fire!" ...
Mount Rushmore immediately brings to my mind images of Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint and villains in hot pursuit. I read recently that when Hitchcock made North by Northwest, there was a huge controversy over the potential desecration of a sacred national site by the likes of a pulpy spy thriller. If I remember correctly, the fact that it was also a sacred Lakota site didn’t factor into the discussion at all.
Hmm, gonna have to look into your “families still live in Portland” claim. My intel did come from America’s most trusted news source (a random dad in an Eastern Montana hotel pool) after all. 😂😂😂
I’m definitely sympathetic as to why we crave places that would make us feel warmth, optimism and belonging in relation to our country. The problem we all live with is that this country’s story isn’t one of warmth and belonging for all by any stretch of the imagination.
I agree. I think what Chris is doing is really important. Sand Creek too by telling the story through a shared vision between descendants and park service. Do you think that kind of collaboration is becoming more common? Why not curate the art on the walls in the words of those whose stories are effected?
Less than a twenty minute drive away is the perfect "chaser" to Mt. Rushmore. Did you go to the Crazy Horse Memorial? We have been there twice and spent 3-4 hours each time. Fabulous museum, dance performances, history, all about the Indigenous in the area. It counteracts the Rushmore narrative and well worth a visit. Every tourist should see it.
Felt Nothing at Rushmore. Only spent 20 min after paying thru the nose for parking. Looks just like the post card, haha. Took one photo from the list of people who worked on it cuz the person had my husband's first and last name.
Appreciate your tribute to the Crazy Horse Memorial and so glad it was a powerful learning experience for you!
I struggle with "we" here, but I know your audience.
Absolutely fair point, Tami. There's a huge risk when I leave the "White Americans" after we implicit rather than explicit, regardless of whether I'm trying to address a specific audience. Appreciate you a ton and sorry for the impact of that rhetorical choice.
First, Garrett, I appreciate the shout-out! Second, this footnote from the introduction to the book, "Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility" addresses how "we" is used between the covers, but also speaks to its use pert near everywhere, I think:
"The word "we" is both problematic and necessary, so at the outset I want to acknowledge that not everyone is part of any version of 'we.' This book was put together with young people and newcomers to the climate movement in mind, with an expectation that most readers would be in the US and Global North. Even there, the differences matter--between Indigenous and settler, rich and poor, people who have lost homes and lives to the climate crisis and those who think of it as largely in the future. But there's also the "we" that is all humanity, all who are impacted, and all beings alive now and yet to come. So, take this "we" with a grain of salt and allow some latitude for the necessity and inadequacy of the categories that make up language." – Rebecca Solnit
Solnit is incredible and hell yeah to this quote. Yes, yes, yes to "both problematic and necessary" and to all the dynamics (both helpful and reductive/dangerous) in that single word. Thanks for sharing it Chris (and thanks again for your piece, which has stayed with me this whole week).
i agree that your niece's impulse to interrupt the ritual photo-taking is such a wise one!
also, would you say you identify most as a best friend, a diva, the boss, daddy's girl, a princess, or caleb? (the only six types of people who exist)
“We have received shocking news at Moms for Liberty headquarters of high school students across the country identifying as “best friends” or “Caleb” and asking districts to accommodate them”
I’m not sure what the context for this is, but it’s very funny to read it right after posting my very first comment on one of Garrett’s newsletters!
Hahaha look carefully at the pictures of the personalized mint boxes in the post up above! You’re Mount Rushmore famous!
I love it. Easiest personality test I’ve ever taken, too.
We are all being played and our actual enemy know exactly how to divide and distract. And they are.
You’re right!
I love this so much (have had it open for 2 weeks before really being able to dive in). I appreciate so much the real-life struggle of grappling with troubling "monuments" that have destroyed sacred Native land while also participating in them as tourists.
Also, as an aside: the whole Portland-has-gone-to-hell narrative from the Butte-dude makes me so frustrated, but it really shows the power of a one-sided narrative that has seeped into both left and right-wing fantasies. It's so funny how outsiders who never set foot there have created this vision of this place. There's a lot of negative rhetoric from locals as well (usually those who never venture downtown), but it's tiresome. Alas, there's often no getting through that. Although many a Spokane resident who's asked me in a pitying tone "How's Portland?" have been treated to a not-so-kind "Portland is just fine! It's fine! We love it, don't listen to the news about it." LOl.
I was hoping I would hear takes from some Portland families (since I was told definitively you've all moved away) :)
Evidence by neighborhood which is quite full of families show otherwise. And people are still moving here. :)
Really awesome read, I always like when I can connect to an author in some way! I grew up in a small Montana town outside of Billings and was taught a lot of local native history. One of my favorite places growing up was Pompeys Pillar. I can't think too long about how much Montana has changed without getting real bummed out but it'll always be home no matter where I am.
just realized I never replied to this comment, but so glad that it resonated. What town did you grow up in?
Laurel! My dad was a miner out at Stillwater for many years
My wife and I visited Mount Rushmore a few years ago for the first time and were equally disappointed for mostly the same reasons: knowing it’s a pointless monument created by a white supremacist, built on stolen land. I was also disappointed by the glorification of Borglum with nary a mention of his shitty beliefs. I agree with other commenters that the Crazy Horse Memorial nearby is a much better experience.
That (all the non-caveated tributes to Borglum) was one of the most confounding parts of the experience! I think I was expecting some sort of explanatory caveat (like the blurb that HBO Max runs before Gone With The Wind or that other National Park sites do with perfunctory land acknowledgments), but there was nothing on Borglum being a problematic dude. It definitely added to the "there is a protective bubble here that we can't smash, otherwise the faux-solemnity of the experience will be lost" feeling.
So my late brother wound up as an operations mgr at a NASCAR track at one point, because he had an events background, and one day his friend who ran the parking crew called my cell. "OH MY GOD," she said. "Why didn't anyone tell me about Mt. Rushmore?!" What do you mean, I asked, wondering what about Mt. Rushmore she was calling about. "No one told me it was sacred! To the Indians! And they carved these presidents on it!" This was not a lefty. But even Sally, when confronted with the sheer magnitude of the middle finger that is Mt. Rushmore, absolutely got it.
And this has been my hope about the place ever since.
On the other hand, if you wanted to hear Lee Greenwood, we got it blasted into our houses here in Livingston from the rodeo grounds and their infernal new speaker system ...
Charlotte I would 100% read a long piece from you about all the indignities of a Livingston summer circa 2023, including the rodeo sound system.
As for your primary comment, I think that nails one of the things that fascinated me most about Mount Rushmore- it’s not a deep critical theory take for White peoe to realize that it’s a big middle finger (and how obvious that is to so many does give me hope) and yet the desire for its comfort is more important than doing anything about it.
I nearly got punched at the parade for yelling Fuck You at the Trump float. White goatee guy was deeply pissed off. (I fought a lot of boys in my childhood, so guys like that get confused when my 5' grey-haired self gives them the "bring it on asshole" stance). And my friends in the local gentry seemed equally horrified that I wasn't being polite for the tourism dollars. I had to go home. I think I'm done with the parade forever.
I'm noodling with an essay on social class, tourism and gentrification -- and my creeping realization I was fundamentally mistaken about where I moved to all those years ago. So keep an eye out ...
I’m so sorry for all the ways that Livingston is breaking your heart but it also makes me so happy to know all the ways you’re standing up for what you love about the place (however the offended gentry and ornery Trumpers feel about it).
Also, thanks for the encouraging word on the rants. I'm trying to figure out some more coherent way to talk about all this other than "I hate this! My hair's on fire!" ...
Mount Rushmore immediately brings to my mind images of Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint and villains in hot pursuit. I read recently that when Hitchcock made North by Northwest, there was a huge controversy over the potential desecration of a sacred national site by the likes of a pulpy spy thriller. If I remember correctly, the fact that it was also a sacred Lakota site didn’t factor into the discussion at all.
Oh wow that movie was filmed very early in its life; so fascinating that it was already being treated with sacred-temple levels of reverence that soon
Thanks for this piece, and your awareness around all the things. I remember carrying a similar veil of judgment around Yellowstone NP during covid.
And, a note from Portland: there are definitely still families living out here ;)
Hmm, gonna have to look into your “families still live in Portland” claim. My intel did come from America’s most trusted news source (a random dad in an Eastern Montana hotel pool) after all. 😂😂😂
I appreciate this. We chose not to stop there last June but if we had, the soundtrack would have played the same.
It's not like other national parks and monuments also don't weigh heavy. Chris's Yellowstone piece was great. And I'm still thinking about it.
I’m definitely sympathetic as to why we crave places that would make us feel warmth, optimism and belonging in relation to our country. The problem we all live with is that this country’s story isn’t one of warmth and belonging for all by any stretch of the imagination.
I agree. I think what Chris is doing is really important. Sand Creek too by telling the story through a shared vision between descendants and park service. Do you think that kind of collaboration is becoming more common? Why not curate the art on the walls in the words of those whose stories are effected?
I can’t speak much to progress (or lack of progress) with truth telling or narrative projects in the national parks but I’m excited that the call for tribal ownership of the parks has gotten louder and clearer. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/05/return-the-national-parks-to-the-tribes/618395/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share