There is no confirmed photograph of Crazy Horse.

The photographs claimed to be him are disputed.

He reportedly refused to be photographed, regarding it as a taking of his spirit.

Whether this account of his attitude toward photography is strictly accurate or is a later addition to his legend is itself debated.

The Memorial, with its depiction of his likeness, proceeds from a claim of representational authority that some Lakota people support and others question.

Some members of his family and community have expressed reservations about the memorial; others have been more supportive.