When keeping a diary during this expedition, Dodge wrote that the Indians called this place “the tower of the bad god”, a name that they adopted with due modifications. And that's how the Devil's Tower label was created. Reuter The spiritual leaders of the Sioux and more than a dozen Native American tribes want U. S.
officials to change the name of Devils Tower, an iconic rock formation and national monument in Wyoming that has religious and cultural importance to the tribes. In 1906, when the formation became the first in the country to be designated a national monument, its name was based on a mistranslation of its Indian title, according to the National Park Service. An interpreter of an 1875 expedition led by a United States Army colonel told him that the term meant “Tower of the Bad God”, later shortened to Tower of the Devil. In letters to President Barack Obama and the United States Geographic Names Board, Looking Horse has called for Bear Lodge to be renamed after a nearby national forest.
Wyoming politicians have opposed that request. Last week, the state's congressional delegation introduced a bill that would block the name change. Tourism officials say Devils Tower is important for Wyoming brand campaigns. The panel that oversees place names was due to consider the Looking Horse application next year, but that is on hold while federal legislation prohibiting the name change is pending.
Looking Horse said he expects Obama to issue an executive order to change the name of the tower in Wyoming, returning dignity and honor to an area that tribes consider a sacred place of power. An Obama spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. From rock climbing and hiking to capturing the area's diverse variety of wildlife with a little bit of photography, Devils Tower offers adventures and entertainment for travelers of all types. At the time, although many documents and maps reflected the original name of the site, “Bear Lodge”, Devils Tower became the popular title and remained.
While some aspects of the legend of the Devil's Tower are used in other variants, other tribes include different details. Although there are parts of the story that vary depending on the different tribes in the region, each one includes the presence of a giant bear or a group of bears to justify the vertical cracks along the surface of Devils Tower. Transmitted over centuries of Native American history, sacred narratives surrounding this formation and its spiritual meaning are still told today and preserved as a traditional part of Native American culture throughout this region. Although some details vary from tribe to tribe, many aspects of these First Devils Tower Stories remain unchanged.
Visitors can also observe star formations such as Big Dipper or “Big Dipper” just above Devils Tower in night sky along with many other important star clusters and constellations referred by Native American culture in this area. However if you chose to explore be sure to mark it on your map as Devils Tower is must-see destination for any vacation in Rapid City area. Devils Tower remains a destination that inspires wonder and admiration for power and beauty of nature and time across cultures and generations. Since it was established by presidential proclamation under Theodore Roosevelt, its name can also be changed by presidential proclamation.
