Contents
On our cross-country roadtrip between Seattle and Minneapolis, as we were driving along I-90 in Wyoming, we passed a sign that read “Devils Tower”. At the same time, we both thought “Hey, that sounds familiar”. A couple of Google searches later, we were turning off and heading north to this National Monument.
Long before we reached the monument’s protected area, Devils Tower, or Mato Tipila as I will refer to it, peaked through the distant horizon (more on the name later). It was an incredible sight, and well worth the detour.
Devils Tower National Monument or Mato Tipila
As we pulled up and used our America the Beautiful pass for entrance, the imposing geological marvel really stunned us. It seemed so out of place here. So how did this amazing structure form? While geologists do agree that is the product of volcanic activity, no one knows for sure how the specific structures were created as magma cooled1. There are several theories which you can read on the park website. Mato Tipila is the “largest example of columnar jointing in the world”.
We only had time to do the shortest loop around Mato Tipila, and this did not take very long. Called “Tower Trail” it is less than 2 miles, paved, and has signage and information. It starts from the Visitor’s Center. If we were to go back, I would recommend the “Red Beds Trail” for more views of Mato Tipila and you also can add the Prairie Dog town to your loop if you want to go a little longer, via the “Valley View Trail”.
As we walked along the Tower Trail craning our necks upwards, we discovered more about the geology and history of the tower. We finished the loop and, after a short detour to Prairie Dog Town, we drove out along the long, flat stretch of highway back to I-90. I watched the tower in the rearview mirror grow smaller and smaller and eventually disappear over the horizon. So, what happened here?
History: The Devil is in the Details
During a scientific expedition in 1875 led by Colonel Richard Dodge, either a misunderstanding or intentional miscategorization led to his recording the name as “Bad God’s Tower” instead of “Bear’s Lodge” which he later changed to “Devil’s Tower”2. We will likely never know for sure how or why the tower got its current Western name.
The Native American stories as to how it was created vary, but the most common story involves two young girls running from giant bears. When the girl prayed to the Great Spirit to save them, they were raised up by the ground’s transformation and saved from the bears. The name Mato Tipila means “Bears Lodge” in Lakota3.
Mato Tipila is still a sacred site for indigenous Americans, including the Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Shoshone, and Lakota4.
Impact Today and Actions
There have been petitions to change the name from Devils Tower to Bears Lodge in the past in order to reflect the original name and spirit of the site, although this effort is currently stalled as of 2024.
The next available time for it to come up will in in 2025, so in the meantime if you support changing the name from Devils Tower to Mato Tipila or Bears Lodge, contact your local congressional representatives5.
Action: Become a better ally for Native American communities:
- Figure out whose land you’re living on
- Support the Native American Rights Fund
- Follow what’s happening with Indian Country Today
- If you live in Wyoming, contact your local Congressperson and your state’s Senator.
And, of course, visit Mato Tipila to learn more.
- https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm ↩︎
- https://www.nps.gov/deto/faqs.htm ↩︎
- https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/aboutthename.htm ↩︎
- https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/americanindians.htm ↩︎
- https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/devils-tower-proposals-to-change-the-name.htm ↩︎