BeginningsThere are legends and stories from various tribes such as the Sioux, Shoshone, Brule Sioux, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa, and others that tell of the creation of the tower related to children being lost and/or being chased by a bear(s) and calling upon the Great Spirit to save them. The Lakota people tell the story like this; (Note: paraphrased version from the book Legends of the Lakota by James LaPointe.)Italic textThe Teton Lakota were great travelers, their journeys covering much of North America. They lived by the hunt, so they followed the grazing herds of buffalo, and from early springtime to autumn they gathered fruit and edible vegetation.
Thus, it is told, one time a caravan of Teton Lakota was slowly moving toward the Black Hills to harvest the many varieties of fruit abounding there. Such journeys were always leisurely, well-ordered and pleasurable. Everyone, young and old, was in an anticipatory mood. The excitement of new country, new experiences and the prospect of what lay beyond yonder hill held a thrill of expectation for all. The vanguard scouts went far ahead. Their task was to blaze a trail for the others to travel, while also scouting for water facilities, hunting prospects, natural protective fortifications and good camping sites.
Socializing was a pleasurable aspect of the march. Matrons moved in groups and exchanged news while caring for the children. New babies arrived without trouble as the caravan moved along. Braves not assigned to duty paired off with young maids. Youths hunted; young children romped and played as they moved along.
After many days of marching, the Lakota caravan encountered rugged terrain. To the southeast the Black Hills appeared, hazily black. Bears were numerous in the rough piney hills, but as they rarely attacked human beings unless wounded, sick or hungry, no one feared them.
Then one day, as the travelers moved cautiously through the rough pine-studded hills, an alarm was hastily relayed through the column. Several little girls had wandered off and now were presumed to be lost. Search parties were hurriedly formed and dispatched in all directions. Finally the little girls were spotted, but alas, they were surrounded by a pack of hungry bears. The frightened children screamed for help. No one was near enough to save them. The rescuers, still too far away, looked on in horror as the growling bears closed in on the girls.
Suddenly a voice from the blue sky spoke to the little girls, saying Paha akili - climb the hill. It had a strange effect on the attacking bears. For a time they stood paralyzed, giving the little girls a chance to clamber up a small knoll.
The girls huddled together on the hill and hid their faces from the angry bears, as once again the animals, recovering from their surprise, began climbing after them. The situation appeared hopeless, but like the wrath of thunder, the earth shook and groaned as the little knoll, commanded by the strange voice, began to rise out of the ground, carrying the children high into the air. Higher and higher the mound rose, as the frustrated bears growled and clawed at its sides. Sharp pieces of rock broke away from the rising spire and crashed down upon the angry bears.
The children were now safe from the snarling bears, but other dangers loomed. How were they to get down? Appearing like tiny specks on top of a high, sharp mound, they kept their eyes tightly closed, not daring to look down. But the strange voice spoke again, saying, “Do not cry; you will not fall. I have many pretty birds with me. Make friends with them, for soon you will ride upon a pretty bird, away and away down to the ground.” And so it was. A covey of birds appeared. The kindly voice belonged to none other than Fallen Star. Molten rocks poured down the sides of the mound, burying the hungry bears. Each little girl now chose a pretty bird upon whose back she flew into the anxious arms of her frantic mother.
That was how Devil’s Tower came to be, say Lakota legends. To prove it, the Indians point to the deep crevices along the walls of the tower and the claw marks made by the huge bears of long ago.
Indeed it was so, the Lakota say.
There are many other stories from the various tribes that inhabited or passed through the Black Hills area, some are similar while others are different. They do share a common theme, lost children; bear related attacks, and a spiritual savior.
ControversaryItalic textOver the decades many rock climbing enthusiasts have found Devil’s Tower a challenging climb in their sport, however the Native Americans revere this site as sacred and the use of this site for sport has caused friction between the two factions. The Native Americans that make a pilgrimage to the site leave gifts and prayer bundles as offerings, some non-natives equate this to littering and pick up these items and discard them in the trash receptacles. During the month of June many Native American also pray at the site as well, only to be interrupted by the various rock climbing groups that run businesses in and around the monument.
LawsuitsItalic textIn the late 1990’s two lawsuits were filed by the rock climbing groups that operate in and around the National Park, the first one filed in the Wyoming Courts cited that under the First Amendment the park cannot be closed for religious purposes, therefore they (climbers) cannot be stopped from climbing during the month of June or any other month for any religious purposes. The second lawsuit filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by the rock climbers was against the government and the National Park Service claiming that the use of the area by the Native American tribes was in violation of the law by citing the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment saying that the government was forcing them to adhere or be subject to a particular religion. However the court ruled against them saying that there was no basis for their argument since they continue to climb the monument even during the month of June. This was the time of the year that Native American tribes requested that others respect their ceremonies and religious practices. While most climbers chose to respect this, there were others that continue to argue that the Sec of Interior violated their rights of climbing by closing the monument to rock climbing during the month of June through the “Final Climbing Management Plan”(FCMP) issued by the Federal Park Service (FPS) who determined that through interviews with perspective climbers that they would respect Native American ritual practices by not climbing during June and that it had little impact on the guides’ businesses. However tribal personnel contend that ceremonies, prayer bundles, etc have been photographed and items removed or disturbed by climbers showing a disregard for religious privacy.
Native American ArgumentItalic textNative American religious views have been subjected to extermination since the creation of reservations and the authorization of Christian groups to convert them into non-pagan practices. However with the implementation of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 which requires “a government-wide policy to protect Indian sacred sites and traditional forms of worship. See 42 U.S.C. § 1996 (1994). (United States Court, April 26, 1999). As well as the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) passed in 1990 which states “requiring federal land managers, including the NPS, to protect Indian graves, consult with Indian tribes concerning religious and cultural sites and objects, and to repatriate cultural and religious items found on federal lands. See 25 U.S.C. § 3001 (1995).” (United States Court, April 26, 1999), and the National Historical Preservation Act Amendments of 1992 which states “properties of traditional religious and cultural importance to an Indian tribe … may be determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register” and federal agencies, including the NPS are directed to consult “with any tribe … that attaches religious and cultural significance to [such] properties.” 16 U.S.C. § 470a(d)(6)(A)-(B) (1985 & 1998 Supp.) (United States Court, April 26, 1999). These acts and amendments are designed to allow the Native American tribes to openly practice and reestablish their religious beliefs that were forcibly taken away from them. The entrepreneurs that make a living from the visitors to Devils Tower tend to show that “they” the climbers were there first by saying that climbers have been using the area since 1893, however the earliest recorded records show that tribes especially the Lakota have been using the area since 1000 A.D. according to the NPS research “archaeological evidence has revealed that the ancestors to the Lakota people inhabited the Devils Tower area as far back as 1000 A.D.” (United States Court, April 26, 1999)
ReferencesItalic texthttp://www.aktalakota.org/index.cfm?cat=54&artid=257 United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, (April 26, 1999 ). (No. 98-8021.). Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-10th-circuit/1211632.html Supreme Court of the United States, (FEBRUARY 2000). (No. 99-1045). Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/osg/briefs/1999/0responses/99-1045.resp.html
Other Sources for ReadingItalic textBurke, P. (n.d.). A legend of devil's tower. Retrieved from http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/A-Legend-Of-Devils-Tower-Sioux.html http://www.dickshovel.com/twr.html http://scienceviews.com/parks/devilstowerlegends.html L., Stephen. Devils Tower. Kc Pubns, 1991. Print. Tyrell, Grace W etal. First Encounters: Indian Legends of Devils Tower. Shirl, 1982. Print. Eire's Son 22:45, 16 April 2011 (UTC)
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