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In the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming there's a volcanic neck known as Devils Tower that sees visitors from all over.

Posted inArchives The Legend of Devils Tower by ICT Staff February 6, 2017November 28, 2025 Share this: Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on X (Opens in new window) X Devils Tower, also known as Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Lodge” in Lakota, is a volcanic neck that rises 1,267 feet from the Black Hills in northeastern Wyoming. It was the very first national monument in the United States, bestowed that designation by Teddy Roosevelt on September 24th, 1906. In recent years around one percent of the 400,000 annual visitors actually climbs the tower. We’ll get to how you do that in a later article. Long before the tower was being recognized by the American government, Native tribes had geographical and cultural connections to it. They called it everything from ‘Aloft on a Rock’ (Kiowa) to ‘Grizzly Bear Lodge’ (Lakota). It wasn’t given its demonic name until Col. Richard Irving Dodge led an expedition through Wyoming in 1875. His interpreter botched the translation, calling it ‘Bad God’s Tower’, which was eventually shortened to Devils Tower. Support Indigenous Journalism Stories like this one don't happen without your support. ICT is Native-led, nonprofit, and free to read. We depend on readers like you to keep our journalism independent and our coverage strong. Donate Now → Secure giving · 501(c)(3) nonprofit There are two great legends regarding the tower and the unusual looking columns that bear a striking resemblance to claw marks. It’s no surprise that both the stories, from the Lakota Sioux and the Kiowa, involve a similar narrative. In the Lakota Sioux legend, six girls were out picking flowers when they were attacked and chased by bears. The Great Spirit felt bad for them, and raised the ground beneath their feet. The bears gave chase and attempted to climb the newly formed tower, but they couldn’t get to the top. The bears fell off, clawing the sides of the monolith. The Kiowa legend follows a similar storyline but includes astrology as well. Seven little Kiowa girls were out playing, spotted by several giant bears, and were chased. The girls prayed to the Great Spirit, and sure enough the ground rose beneath them towards the Heavens. The bears tried to climb the rock but only managed to leave their deep claw marks on the sides. The girls reached the sky and were turned into the constellation Pleiades. This story was originally published December 15, 2010. Related Tagged: Archived Search for: Search Latest News News Bayfield Co. judge issues partial stay of Line 5 construction 4 hours ago News ‘It will always be the community’ that drives work to find missing Native Americans, speaker says 11 hours agoMay 20, 2026 News N8iV Beauty named to TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Beauty Companies 18 hours ago News Alaska Legislature considers exempting some Native corporations from public disclosure 1 day ago News Amanda Page discusses run for county commissioner in Oregon 1 day ago