Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the Black Hills area will be featured on an episode of "History Detectives" at 8 p.m. today on PBS.

In the episode, "History Detectives" host Gwen Wright investigates a letter dated 1938 from Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, to Lakota leader James Red Cloud.

The letter makes several references to treaties between the U.S. government and the Lakota. It also expresses Borglum's desire to help the tribe.

The letter was submitted by Bryan Bruns of Chappell, Neb., who got the letter from his grandfather.

According to "History Detectives" media representative Tim Fisher, one of the main sources of topics for the show is submissions from viewers.

"Over 75 percent of the investigations that make it on air come from viewers who have an object or know about something they think is historically significant but they're not sure," Fisher said.

"History Detectives" investigators then investigate the topic. The show has four detectives who all have accomplished backgrounds in appraisal or academia. They talk to experts, travel and ask a lot of questions.

"There's a lot of research involved," Fisher said.

Bruns' grandfather befriended the Red Cloud family, who passed the letter onto him because, like Borglum, the grandfather was a sculptor.

Fisher said the episode was shot entirely on location in western South Dakota.

Viewers will see footage of Mount Rushmore, the surrounding Black Hills and the Journey Museum in Rapid City.

Other "History Detectives" episodes this year have included segments about the Liberty Bell, the Cuban Missile Crisis, treasures off the coast of Florida and a Howard Hughes plane crash in Beverly Hills.

Contact Katie Brown at 394-8318 or katie.brown@rapidcityjournal.com