Mt. Rushmore summit results

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Welcomes American Indian EldersThe summit provided an opportunity for Lakota tribal elders to discuss topics that would help the National Park Service to develop and present American Indian programs and information that would enhance the Mount Rushmore story. Members from various tribes discussed their vision for park educational programs and interpretation. Some of the ideas presented included integrating American Indian language in different public areas of the memorial, having American Indian college students help the memorial collect oral histories from tribal elders, and creating pamphlets on Lakota culture to hand out to visitors. As a result of this meeting, a request was made from the elders group to host a second meeting with spiritual leaders that would address topics like the interpretation of sacred geography and other subjects in spirituality.