Should the U.S. Give Mount Rushmore Back to the Sioux? the U.N. Thinks So
For centuries, Native Americans have been on the receiving end of some of the worst atrocities committed on U.S. soil, driven from their homes and isolated on impoverished reservations. How can the U.S. government begin to repair the damage done to Native American communities, and compensate in some small way for the injuries done to them?
Well, giving back Mount Rushmore would be a start.
That’s among several suggestions made by United Nations special rapporteur James Anaya, who will formally recommend the U.S. restore land previously owned by various tribes — including the Black Hills of South Dakota, home of the famous national monument.
The granite promontory, carved with 60-ft high visages of four U.S. presidents, sits on a site considered sacred by the Sioux.