In my youth, I climbed the back of Mt. Rushmore, stood on top of Abe’s head and looked down at Teddy’s nose. I intended no disrespect to the Lakota people. I had no idea that I was violating their sacred land. In fact, I had no idea that they are the rightful owners of that land.. Furthermore, I did not learn about the KKK links to the monument until today.
On Friday, President Donald Trump will continue his tour of racism and colonialism, moving from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the sacred Black Hills. Make no mistake, this visit is an attack on Indigenous people.
I visit the Black Hills alongside many other Lakotas every year as part of a tradition we have maintained for thousands of years. Stretching from what is now known as South Dakota into Wyoming, they are a sacred place that I take my family and my children to, like the Vatican for Catholics or Mecca for Muslims. The hills are where I feel most connected to Creator.
The Black Hills are also the site of death, violence and war. They are home to Mount Rushmore — a monument to white colonizers carved by a Ku Klux Klan sympathizer into land stolen from us by the U.S. government in 1877. Two of the men carved into that mountain are slave owners, and one approved the mass hangings of 38 Dakota men in the largest mass execution in the history of the United States.
Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore, timed to America’s celebration of the Fourth of July, is almost a natural sequel to his rally in Tulsa — originally coinciding with Juneteenth. He is taking his campaign from the site of one of the United States’ most horrific acts of racism to another place with long histories of oppression and state-sanctioned violence… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NBC News>
I find myself less inclined than many to blame George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt for practices that are horrifical by today’s standards, but were considered normal and acceptable when they were alive. They were all people who left things better than they found them. They helped establish the foundation, on which we are fighting to win justice and freedom for all.
Native Americans in South Dakota Protest Trump’s July 4 Trip to Mount Rushmore
I do support the Lakota demand to destroy the monument on Mt. Rushmore. I have nothing against having a monument to those four people and would not object to building one elsewhere. The monument is in the wrong place. The Lakota people gave up huge tracts of land, negotiating in good faith for the sanctity of the Black Hills, their sacred land. The only just recompense for the crime of forcing them off their sacred land is to return it to them. Republicans will argue that the monument is our heritage, but isn’t reinstituting the observance of this treaty after over a century of violation a far better heritage than four dead men carved in stone?
Julian Bear Runner: Trump Doesn’t Have Permission To Visit Mount Rushmore
And speaking of criminal Fuhrer Trump* (even though I’d rather not), he plans only a campaign event for racists, that he can use to start forest fires with an illegal fireworks display, and to kill as many Lakota people as he can, as his Sheeple spread the pestilence of Trump* virus, in the process of celebration Trump* and only Trump*. Shame on the entire Republican Reich!
RESIST!!
16 Responses to “Trump* to Celebrate Oppression for the 4th”
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Unfortunately….dt has no regard for respecting these lands, these Peoples, nor the environment. It’s all about him. ugh!
How profoundly sad for the Oglala Sioux Nation, I wish too, that it wasn’t happening. Here. Of.all.places!
Oh, Hon, you missed the cherry on the s**t sundae. this is what his supporters are recommending:
And you have to admit it ges well with the KKK connection. It might make it easier to get the whole thing destroyed – but it would also danger of getting it destroyed in a wrong way – a way that would harm the ground even more for the Lakota.
Excuse me while I quietly go hurl.
Amen. What you said, Joanne.
If the Lakota are in charge of the destruction, I trust they will respect their sacred land.
Presuming we are both intelligent enough and honorable enough to put the Lakota in charge of their own land. I would hope we would be – but you admit it will be something never done before if we do.
Additionally, I agree w/ Dr. Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist expert who is appalled by Trump demanding a psedo-rally and enticing a crowd w/ fireworks – but NO mandatory social distancing and NO mandatory masks:
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/505805-infectious-disease-expert-trump-mt-rushmore-event-is-beyond-irresponsible-and
If he were just taking his own followers, I’d be inclined tosay, “Jump away!” But he’s endangering the Lakota, and that – is unspeakable.
I’m stun that the idiot is going to hold an event tonight at Mt. Rushmore. That he wants fireworks too.
He’s insane. Shows no care what-so-ever for other human beings. They’re showing on CNN, that the chairs are tied together, not planning social distancing and not going to require that people wear masks.
On top of that, tRump choosing to hold it on this day. is definitely disrespectful.
Delusional Trump is only going there because he wants to face up there. He’s not even going to make it to a second term and he still thinks he deserves to be there with the best presidents of their era.
Of course, Trump wouldn’t be Trump if he realized or cared about the fact that defacing a mountainside sacred to indigenous Americans to carve out four faces of men that oppressed these indigenous people as leaders of the ‘white nation’ is was then was a mistake to start with. He’ll be the last person to understand that and agree to return it to their rightful owners the same way Uluru (Ayers Rock) was recently returned to the indigenous people of Australia and tourists can no longer climb this sacred place.
I hope the protesting Lakotas are going to keep their distance from the people attending the rally, take every precaution necessary to avoid being infected and leave those idiots to huddle together without precautions and spread the virus only among themselves.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the media didn’t show any footage of the fireworks?
For all those who celebrate the 4th of July in more appropriate way a song of hope:
We are going, heaven knows where we are going,
but we know within.
and We will get there, heaven knows how we will get there,
but know we will.
yes.
“In my youth, I climbed the back of Mt. Rushmore …”
So then you were able to enjoy the “rear view” of Mount Rushmore:
LMAO!
Thanks, Holiday Hugs, and Amen to all!
Thanks TC! I would add that the fireworks displays had ended several years ago because of the extremely high fire risk in that area–I pray that does not prove to be another ghastly side effect from this event.
Apparently some of Pence’s special service security team had to stay in AZ due to Covid19 quarantine requirements. And now Jr.’s girlfriend got positive test results after she had already traveled to SD for this event–so we know there are inner circle that have been exposed who are at that event.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/04/kimberly-guilfoyle-donald-trump-jrs-girlfriend-tests-positive-for-covid-19
They didn’t end here until Trump* virus, because the display is completely over the river.
I have been to Mt. Rushmore and would say much of the negatives of history are “overlooked” in the story….and I have learned much recently….I think it would be nice to give the land back and let the native-original owners to decide its future…..
And to top it all off, MAGATS told Native Americans protesting the clown puppet’s visit to “GO HOME!” Yes, really! OMFG! Cat goddesses, come to us in our time of need and suffering. Be safe while resisting.