Mount Rushmore National Memorial

· 0/5 stars ·

Mount Rushmore is by far the worst national park/memorial I’ve ever visited. Quite possibly the worst national park there is! There is nothing appealing about looking at some old hags carved into a rock with literal tons and tons of rubble underneath it. If Mount Rushmore’s appearance wasn’t bad enough, then the history should deter you from going. This monument resides in the Black Hills of South Dakota, sacred land for the Lakota Sioux, who called it the Six Grandfather’s Mountain. After white settlers migrated to the Black Hills and began inciting violence with the Sioux, the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, promising the Black Hills to the Sioux, as it is rightfully theirs. But of course, the U.S. broke that treaty and seized it the moment gold was found in the area. The Lakota Sioux and several other tribes were forced to give up their land just to have it defaced by this hideous monument. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum had ties to the KKK! To me, Mount Rushmore represents a disgustingly whitewashed version of history, and it is sickening to look at after you have learned of the horrors we committed against the Native tribes. It’s also just really ugly. Below is the only photo I took of this monument because I hate it so much!