Idol threat: anger at state's bid for Trump hero garden

South Dakota officials are pushing to establish Donald Trump's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills, near Mount Rushmore, in a move that has ignited significant opposition from Indigenous groups who consider the area sacred.

- SARAH RAZA

A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where the colossal sculptures of four prominent presidents are carved into granite.

Republican governor Larry Rhoden has expressed strong support for the project, writing to Mr Trump: "The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes." He added: "Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honours 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 a flashpoint in disputes between South Dakota and its Indigenous tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie formally recognised the Black Hills as belonging to the Sioux people. Yet, less than a decade later, the US government seized the land for gold mining.

A 1980 Supreme Court decision affirmed that the US had violated the treaty, but the tribes rejected a $1.3bn compensation offer, steadfastly maintaining their ancestral rights to the land.