By Santee Ross, University of Montana

The Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota has been ingrained in my memory since birth. The giant mountain memorial has also seemed frozen in time, in all the years since my birth—granted that’s not long but still.

Progress on the Crazy Horse Monument should be underway with fundraising recently hitting their goal of $5 million and a pledge to match the amount from philanthropist Sanford.

I am however not jumping for joy over this news. I do hold hope that progress can finally begin but my doubt outweighs it by far. I think when Korczak Ziolkowski died in 1982, the dream of completing the Crazy Horse Memorial and the plans of expanding the University died with him.

Korczak was an honorable man who held great respect for the Native American people but I don’t see that kindness in the actions of his family that have taken over the Crazy Horse project.

I have been to the monument almost every summer since I was able to walk because my grandfather was one of the independent sellers in the museum. I know the Crazy Horse Monument has made no real progress and any explosions made on the mountain are to bring in tourists. I think the monument remains unfinished because the family is milking the project for all it’s worth.

Mount Rushmore, which is only 20 minutes away, only took $989,992.32 and was completed in about 12 years.

Korczak took on the Crazy Horse project with donations and his own hands. I understand how at first the memorial would only show little progress but Korczak began the memorial in 1948 and it’s 2011. The Crazy Horse memorial brings in millions each year with admissions. Not to mention the outside fund raising.

Something isn’t adding up here. This memorial that’s supposed to be honoring the Native American warrior is taking more money and more time to be completed then four president heads. Yes the monument is slightly more complicated but considering the millions that have been raised over 63 years it’s hard not become paranoid and think of words like “swindle.”

I might as well learn how to become a mountain sculptor and finish it myself—oh, that’ll have to wait “CSI: Miami” is on.

Santee Ross (Hopi/Lakota) is from Lander, Wyo.