What is the dark past of Mount Rushmore, America’s most famous national 

Monument? How did a sacred indigenous site become a colossal shrine to the American empire? What ties did sculptor Gutzon Borglum have to the Ku Klux Klan?  

Anita speaks with Matthew Davis, author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore, to reveal the sinister past of the beloved American landmark. They discuss the Native American wars, illegal seizure of sacred land, and the contested meaning of the iconic national memorial.

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Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott

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