If you drive across the windswept plains of South Dakota, just across the river from Mobridge, you’ll find him. He sits high on a bluff, carved from grey stone, looking out over the Missouri River. It’s the Sitting Bull Monument. It’s rugged. Honestly, it's a bit lonely out there. Most people expect a towering, polished tribute, but what they get is a weathered bust that carries a heavy, controversial history. This isn't just a piece of art; it’s the centerpiece of a decades-long feud over where the great Hunkpapa Lakota leader truly belongs.
He was a man of immense power. Tatanka Iyotake. You probably know him as Sitting Bull, the holy man who saw a vision of soldiers falling into his camp like grasshoppers before the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He wasn't just a "warrior" in the way Hollywood likes to paint it. He was a spiritual pillar. So, why is his most famous statue standing in the middle of a literal tug-of-war between two states?
The 1953 Midnight Raid
Let’s talk about what really happened, because it sounds like a plot from a heist movie. For years, Sitting Bull was buried at Fort Yates, North Dakota. He had been killed there in 1890 during a botched arrest by Indian Police. The grave was neglected. It was basically a slab of concrete in a weed-choked field.
Then came Korczak Ziolkowski. You might recognize that name—he’s the guy who started the massive Crazy Horse Memorial. In 1953, relatives of Sitting Bull and a group of South Dakota businessmen decided they’d had enough of the North Dakota site's condition. Under the cover of darkness, they drove to Fort Yates. They dug up what they believed were the remains of the chief.
They took him.
They raced across the state line to South Dakota and reburied him near Mobridge, right where the Sitting Bull Monument stands today. North Dakota was furious. They claimed the "grave robbers" took the wrong body. South Dakota claimed they rescued a hero. This statue wasn't just built to honor him; it was built to mark the spot and claim his legacy.
Korczak Ziolkowski and the Stone Portrait
The statue itself is a Seven-ton bust. Ziolkowski carved it from a single block of South Dakota granite. If you look closely at the facial features, you’ll notice they aren't "pretty." They are deep-set and stern. Ziolkowski didn't want a caricature; he wanted the weight of the 19th century to show in the stone.
It’s actually quite modest compared to the scale of Crazy Horse. It stands about seven feet tall on a pedestal. The location is the real draw. It’s located on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, overlooking the Oahe Reservoir. There is a sense of immense silence there. You’ve got the wind whipping off the water and miles of yellow grass.
Why the site feels different
Unlike many national monuments, this one isn't surrounded by gift shops or paved parking lots with Starbucks nearby. It’s raw. Sometimes the site is pristine; other times, it’s been hit by vandals or neglected. This inconsistency is part of its truth. It reflects the ongoing struggle of Indigenous history in the United States—it’s often contested, sometimes ignored, and always complicated.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Monument
People often think this is the "official" burial site recognized by everyone. It isn't. If you go to North Dakota, they’ll tell you his spirit is still at Fort Yates. If you talk to certain historians, they’ll argue that the 1953 move was a publicity stunt to drum up tourism for Mobridge.
But for the Lakota people, it's deeper than a border dispute.
The monument represents a man who refused to sign away his culture. When you stand in front of the Sitting Bull Monument, you aren't just looking at a statue of a "famous Indian." You're looking at a symbol of resistance. He was one of the last holdouts. He famously said, "I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle."
Visiting the Site: The Logistics
If you’re planning to go, don’t just GPS "Sitting Bull" and hope for the best. You want to head to Mobridge, South Dakota. From there, you cross the bridge heading west on Highway 12. Take a left (south) on Highway 1806. You’ll see the signs.
- The View: The overlook of the Missouri River is breathtaking. It’s worth the drive for the landscape alone.
- The Condition: Be prepared. The monument has suffered over the years. It’s been spray-painted, chipped, and worn down by the harsh Dakota winters.
- Respect: This is still considered a burial site by many. It’s not a playground.
The monument is actually near the site of his birth, or at least one of the traditionally cited areas near the Grand River. This gives the South Dakota site a bit more emotional weight for some, despite the messy way the bones got there.
The Rivalry That Won't Die
Even today, the North Dakota vs. South Dakota rivalry over Sitting Bull is alive. North Dakota eventually fixed up their site at Fort Yates. They put up a nice plaque and a marker. They still maintain that the "Mobridge group" didn't get all the remains, or perhaps none at all.
There’s a kind of poetic irony in it. Sitting Bull spent his life trying to keep his people together and keep his land away from those who wanted to carve it up. Now, two states are fighting over who gets to claim his bones for their tourism boards.
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The Artistic Legacy
Ziolkowski’s work on the Sitting Bull Monument served as a precursor to his life's work at Crazy Horse. You can see the same rugged style. He didn't use power tools for the fine details back then in the way we do now. It was sweat and cold steel. The bust captures a specific expression—one of looking toward a future that he knew would be difficult for his people.
It’s not a "victory" statue.
It’s a memorial to a tragedy and a tribute to a persistence that outlasted the 19th century.
How to Truly Experience the History
Don't just take a selfie and leave. To actually understand what the Sitting Bull Monument signifies, you need to look at the surrounding area. The flooding of the Missouri River valley by the Oahe Dam in the mid-20th century drowned much of the traditional Lakota land. When you stand at the monument and look at the water, you are looking at a transformed world.
The statue is a fixed point in a shifting history.
It reminds us that even stone wears away, but the story of a man who wouldn't bend stays sharp. Whether his physical remains are under that granite or back in North Dakota matters less than the fact that we are still talking about him. We are still arguing over him. That is the mark of a truly great leader.
Actionable Insights for Your Visit
If you want to see the monument the right way, follow these steps:
- Check the Weather: The Dakota plains are brutal. In the summer, it’s a furnace; in the winter, the wind will cut right through you. Late September is the sweet spot.
- Read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee": Read the chapter on Sitting Bull before you arrive. It changes the way you look at the stone.
- Visit Both Sites: To get the full picture, visit Fort Yates in North Dakota first, then drive down to Mobridge. Seeing the "empty" grave versus the "stolen" one puts the whole 1953 heist into perspective.
- Support Local Tribes: The monument is on reservation land. Instead of buying a mass-produced souvenir at a gas station, look for local Lakota artisans in the Mobridge or Standing Rock area.
- Look for the Marker: Next to the bust, there is a monument to Sakakawea (Sacagawea). Many people miss it because they are focused on Sitting Bull, but it’s part of the same historical landscape.
The Sitting Bull Monument isn't just a destination; it's a lesson in how history is never really "settled." It’s dug up, moved, carved, and reclaimed. Go there to see the river, stay for the silence, and think about the man who saw the grasshoppers falling.