Why Is The Devils Tower Offensive Or Historic?

Devils Tower: Offensive or Historic? Devils Tower is 867-foot-tall butte located in the northeastern corner of Wyoming. The enormous wonder of nature is believed to be roughly 50 million years old. The tower became the United States’ first national monument on September 24,1906 during the Theodore Roosevelt Administration. Recently, spiritual leaders of the Lakota, the Cheyenne, and several other Native American tribes of the plains, because of their strong spiritual ties to the monument, have asked the United States and its officials to consider changing the name of Devils Tower; Unfortunately for the multiple tribes, the United States is, unless implored by its citizens, notorious for rejecting the wishes of the native people in favor of
Frightened and in harm’s way, the group prayed to the Great Spirit to help them. And, in response to the prayers, the Great Spirit lifted the ground and rock from under them high up into the sky. From the top of the newly formed Devils Tower, or as the tribe refers to it “Bear Lodge”, and with the help of the Great Spirit, the men were able to defeat the bear and ultimately save the Cheyenne woman. Of course, the Cheyenne are not the only tribe of the plains with a spiritual and cultural connection to the butte. The Lakota are another regional tribe with strong ties to the tower. To them, the tower is considered a sacred site of wisdom and renewal. Because of this, they often held their holy Sun Dances there during each summer solstice. In addition, they prayed to the “Great Mystery”- the essence of Lakota life and spiritualism. They asked for wisdom and personal direction. In return, they fasted, left offerings, and worshipped. Like the Lakota, many other tribes in the region have similar views and appreciation for Devils Tower. The spiritual significance and the ancient devotion the
They believe “Devils Tower” suggests the Indians performed and/or perform satanic-inspired rituals around the butte, which is simply not true. Unfortunately for the tribes, the United States has responded in a way that is neither considerate nor understanding of the wishes of the indigenous peoples. In fact, Wyoming politicians suggested drafting a bill that would restrict and forbid any name changes to the monument. The State argues the name is crucial to the local tourism industry and that any alteration to the name could jeopardize the ability for domestic and international tourists to identify the butte which would, in turn, harm the tourism industry. Due to possible economic implications and general apathy towards