South Dakota authorities have expressed their strong support for the creation of the National Garden of American Heroes, proposed by President Donald Trump, in the Black Hills, near Mount Rushmore. However, the initiative has already sparked negative reactions from indigenous groups who consider the area sacred.
Meanwhile, a mining company has already offered to donate 40 acres at a distance less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, with its sculptures of four of the nation’s most important presidents.
“The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,” Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. “Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America’s heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota’s natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.”
The Black Hills have long been the subject of controversy between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized these areas as belonging to the Sioux people, but the US government seized the territory less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court ruling found that the US had violated the treaty, but the tribes rejected the $1.3 billion compensation offered and retained their rights to the land.
Trump, for his part, signed an executive order earlier this year for the creation of the garden, which will feature 250 life-size statues of US historical figures, to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, which will be celebrated on July 4, 2026. Applications from sculptors who wish to participate have already been solicited and must be submitted in early July.
The MAGA leader’s list of heroes includes, among others, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Billy Graham, Douglas MacArthur, Christa McAuliffe, Jackie Robinson, Kobe Bryant, Betsy Ross, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and Orville and Wilbur Wright.
The House approved $40 million in funding for the project, which is overseen by the Department of the Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump first announced the initiative during his first term, in a speech delivered on July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore, at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement was underway and some protesters were tearing down statues of Confederate generals and others.
In addition to Governor Rhoden, Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to the president, stating in a social media post that he “will continue to support the establishment of this iconic monument in the Black Hills.”
Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund stated, “It’s a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land.”
Donald Trump has long expressed admiration for Mount Rushmore—and has already floated the idea of having his likeness added to it. Legislation was introduced in early 2025 by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to direct the Department of the Interior to add Trump’s image to Mount Rushmore. The proposal has drawn support from some Republican lawmakers and conservative media figures, but it hasn’t advanced in Congress.
While no official plans exist to carve his face into the mountain itself at this point, the proposed garden of national heroes is seen as a preliminary step to achieving that aspiration.
