Mato Tipila
- Cat Calhoun
- Oct 28, 2018
- 1 min read
Americans call it The Devil's Tower and start humming the Close Encounters theme when you mention it, but long before we arrived, this volcanic tower drew the attention and imagination of the local indigenous tribes. Their names for it were very different in tone from the one we gave. As you can see, most of them have to do with Bear.
Lakota Sioux: "Mato Tipila" or Bear's Lodge
Kiowa: "Tso-i-e" or Rock Tree
Assiniboine: "Wax'ank'sija Tibi" or Place Where Bears Live
Mandan: "Mahdo Wakupe" or Bear's Hat
Arapaho: "Woox-niii-non" or Bear's Tipi
Crow tribe: "Daxpitcheeaasáao" or Bear's Home
Cheyenne: "Nakovehe" or Bear's Lodge
Can you see Bear? There are incense smudges on the nose and red ribbons tied around offering bundles all around the rock. You can catch a glimpse of one suspended in the tree to the far left right at the edge of the photograph.
View of the monument from the road. It's definitely unique on the landscape.
The main trails in the park are packed with people. Lesser traveled areas get you some amazing vistas.
Climber waaaaay up the tower. It's a giant playground for adventure sport types. I kinda get it, but it also bugs me. I mean, I'm sure it would be a blast to base jump from or free climb the outside of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, but I'm betting some Christian heads would explode if someone tried it.
Majestic sky on the way out of the park.
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