Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes” Faces Backlash in South Dakota
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.- A push to construct President Donald Trump’s proposed “National Garden of American Heroes” in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore is encountering significant opposition from Indigenous groups who consider the area sacred. The proposed site, a 40-acre donation from mining company Pete Lien & Sons, is less than a mile from the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has enthusiastically endorsed the project, stating the Black Hills represent “the perfect location” to realize Trump’s vision. He emphasized the project would “honour America’s heroes” and leverage the state’s natural beauty alongside the existing Mount Rushmore monument.
Though, the proposal is deeply contentious due to the Black Hills’ fraught history with the sioux people. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie initially recognized the Black Hills as belonging to the Sioux,but the U.S. government seized the land shortly after for gold mining. While a 1980 supreme Court decision affirmed the treaty violation, the tribes rejected the offered $1.3 billion compensation, maintaining their claim to the land.This latest development adds to existing tensions, as Pete Lien & Sons has previously clashed with Indigenous groups over exploratory drilling near Pe’ Sla, a sacred Lakota site. The company is also collaborating on a theme park attraction in the Black Hills that has drawn criticism from Indigenous advocates.
“It’s absurd for Storyland studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe’ sla, and do nothing,” stated Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective.”They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it.”
Governor Rhoden’s office maintains the garden will not encroach on state or tribal land, as the proposed site is privately owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons. However, Pete Lien & Sons has not responded to requests for comment.The “National Garden of American Heroes,” announced via executive order earlier this year, is intended to feature 250 life-size statues of ancient figures in festivity of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. While applications for sculptors are being accepted, the initial goal of completion by next summer has been revised.The U.S. House has already allocated $40 million to the project, overseen by the Department of Interior and the National Park service.
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