They came to a hill and found an antelope which they followed. They fell upon a stream with many colorful pebbles and followed it. After they shot their bows into the brush, they heard an animal make a noise so they investigated. Long ago, young Indian boys were lost on the prairie after playing together one afternoon and wandering off.

Notice that many of the names given to Devils Tower translate to bears? There is an important reason for this. Throughout the generations, such stories have been told around fires and at ceremonial events. There are a number of myths and legends that surround this Native American sacred site. The Lakota Indians named it Mato Tipila or “Bear Lodge.” Other names include, Bear Rock, Tree Rock, Grizzly Bear Lodge and Bear Mountain. “Devils Tower” was a name given to the location by the white many in 1875 when Colonel Richard Irving Dodge incorrectly translated the native name to “Bad God’s Tower.” This eventually developed into the name “Devils Tower.” There are many tribal names associated with the sacred site.

Tribes from across the United States consider Devils Tower to be sacred, not just local tribes. There are numerous legends surrounding the tower, most of which were passed down through the generations while sitting around a fire. The location was first made famous by the 1977 movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” However, for generations before, the tribal people of the area considered it to be a sacred site. Located in Wyoming, Devils Tower is not like any other place on earth.

Devils tower wyoming