Feature story South Dakota’s Crazy Horse museum unveils Lakota helicopter kiosk

September 3, 2010

A new UH-72A Lakota information terminal located at the Crazy Horse Memorial museum in South Dakota is strengthening ties between the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter and its namesake Native American tribe.

“The Crazy Horse museum shows our past,” said Barth Chief Eagle Robinson of the Lakota nation’s Rosebud Sioux tribe in a South Dakota National Guard news release. “This kiosk represents our future relationships with the South Dakota Army National Guard, United States Army, Redstone Arsenal and EADS.”

The UH-72A was given its Lakota designation in keeping with the Army's tradition of naming rotary-wing aircraft after Native American tribes.  Requests for the naming originate with the tribes, and their history and traditions are required to be aligned with the helicopter’s characteristics and uses in Army service.

The Lakota nation is made up of seven bands of Sioux tribes located in South Dakota, North Dakota, Canada and Montana.

“It’s a great honor that the Army named the helicopter after our tribe – it means a lot to our veterans and warriors,” added Rosebud Sioux tribal council president Rodney Bordeaux. “Some of the great warriors from the 1880’s such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Spotted Tail and Red Cloud were Lakota.”

Next year, the South Dakota Army National guard will form a new unit – Delta Company, 1/112th Aviation Company – timed with the arrival of a new Lakota helicopter.

UH-72As are operated throughout the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico, Germany and at Kwajalein Atoll by active duty Army and Army National Guard units.  They are used for missions that include medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), search and rescue, homeland security, VIP transport and general aviation support.

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