Sicangu Oyate Tribe

The legend of the famous Devils Tower in Wyoming, according to the Sioux tribes of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, tells a vivid story of young boys, and how this tower helped them to escape the grasps of a gigantic grizzly bear. The Rosebud Indian Reservation is federally recognized as the Sicangu Oyate tribe, or the Sicangu Lakota, which is a more specific group within the Lakota tribe. (Rose, “About the Sicangu Oyate”) They say a group of young boys wandered off playing with their toys and end up getting lost in the prairie. They tried to find their way home, and walked for three days with still no luck. On the fourth day, they came face to face with Mato the bear. This bear was the largest grizzly bear around, and he had
To begin, their tribe has many names for the tower, including “Grizzly Bear’s Lodge” and “Bear Lodge Butte.” The tower has also become an important place for their ceremonies, prayer, and sacred dances. In terms of ceremonies, “The Great Bear Hu Numpa imparted the sacred language and ceremonies of healing to Lakota shamans at Bear Lodge. In this way, Devils Tower is considered the birthplace of wisdom” for the Sioux tribe. (United States. National Park Service.) They also have hosted their “Vison quests” here dating back to the 1930s. “Vision quests are a very intense form of prayer requiring much preparation, fasting, purification rite (sweatlodge/inipi), and solitude. It is a ritual integral to the construction of Lakota identity.” (San Miguel, “How Is Devils Tower a Sacred Place to American Indians”) They have also had Sun Dance ceremonies held at Devils Tower since 1983. In these dances, they hope to renew themselves and unite with nature, the idea being that “The participant suffers so that Nature stops suffering.” (San Miguel, “How Is Devils Tower a Sacred Place to American Indians”) Through these ceremonies, dances, and worship, it’s clear that Devils Tower has been an important place to the Sioux tribe throughout the