Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Rhetoric and Public Affairs

Department

Communication

ISSN

1094-8392

Volume

11

Issue

1

DOI

10.1353/RAP.0.0007

First Page

89

Last Page

112

Publication Date

1-1-2008

Abstract

This essay examines the three orientation films that have been shown at the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial since 1965, and analyzes how these films interpret the memorial as a patriotic symbol. Although the site was originally conceived to celebrate U.S. imperialism, each film moves away from that interpretation. This analysis tracks how these films’ interpretations of this patriotic icon have evolved to suit contemporary political exigencies rather than a fixed definition of Mt. Rushmore. I draw on memory studies, rhetoric, historical theory, and documentary film theory to examine the changing representations of nationalism and patriotism in these films.

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