While monuments and statues are meant as a tribute to someone who accomplished impactful achievements that affected the lives of others, some should be reconsidered due to the ethics of who is on the monument or the location that it is, which aren’t shown in the piece of art.

When landmarks are created, it’s difficult to remove monuments for actions that someone did afterwards or even during their accomplishments. The message that removing the monument raises questions about the in-depth research that goes on before creating a piece of art in their memory. For those affected negatively by the individuals who have been memorialized, apologies should be made because seeing someone who may have terrorized victims being rewarded could be mentally challenging. 

A historical example of unethical memorializing is the carving of the Mount Rushmore National Monument. It was carved on the Black Hills, a sacred land of the Lakota Sioux, according to the LA Times. The Lakota Sioux were Native American people who resided in North Dakota and South Dakota.

The U.S seized the land during the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which recognized the Black Hills as land exclusive to the Sioux people, according to the National Archives. The treaty was broken when gold was discovered in the Black Hills during the 1870s. Afterwards, U.S miners invaded the land, and the U.S military defeated the Lakota Sioux people.

Another factor that makes this monument so controversial is that Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, was a known member of the Ku Klux Klan. Originally, the monument was supposed to feature heroes of the West, such as the Lakota leader Red Cloud. According to TED-Ed, Borglum had other ideas; he decided to put U.S presidents instead to represent national growth.

The California State University of San Marcos argues that monuments should be relocated or removed because of the unethical initial seizure of the land, and the person who designed the commemorative piece of art can be made. The institution has since removed its statue from campus because “Chávez’s doesn’t align with our values”.

Because the ethics of the situation are undesirable, the monument should be removed since it represents the U.S. Mount Rushmore is the representation of the United States development, expansion and preservation of history, rather than western heroes. The U.S. (specifically Congress) should apologize and compensate the Lakota Sioux people for illegally seizing sacred land.

However, not all unethical monuments have to do with the land or the people who designed the piece of art. Sometimes, the issue lies with the person memorialized by the monument whos actions are widely considered morally incorrect today.

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. In honor of what he accomplished in his lifetime, many statues and monuments in honor of his achievements were made across the United States.

Yet recently, it was reported that Chavez allegedly sexually abused women while leading his farmworker labor rights movement in the 1960s. These allegations prompted California lawmakers to pass a bill to rename Cesar Chavez Day to Farm Workers Day on March 26th to find a middle ground between the legacy of the Farmworkers’ Movement and the allegations.

Cities and towns that built these works of art need to have alternative design ideas if negative information is released about the person on the monument. Arguments have been made by some to remove all of Chavez’s statues from places, with Sonoma State and Fresno State already doing so, according to KTVU.

A prominent theme in this situation is not being afraid to speak out on unacceptable topics. While past actions cannot be reversed, amends to make it acceptable in the present need to be taken. If victims or people are able to speak up against unethical monuments, such monuments can be prevented in the future. 

Influential figures are difficult to speak up on because of their popularity, public perception and other factors. However, we should be able to support victims who want to speak out against someone.

While monuments can be a good way to recognize people who have done significant things in their lives, that doesn’t outweigh the unethical values the monuments represent, especially when such values aren’t illustrated on the monument itself.

Illustration by Amelia Martorano/Bear Witness