On Monday July 16th our class watched a video about Devils Tower. In the video we watched about the issues the Lakota people are facing with rock climbers and tourist. The Devils Tower is sacred to the Lakota people and the some of the rock climbers are climbing on Devils Tower to full fill the rock climbers individual hobby. It is not just an the rock climbers, but some of the local communities do not understand the importance of Devils Tower is to the Lakota culture. The Lakota people use Devils Tower to pray to the Great Spirit and to put in perspective how sacred Devils Tower is to the Lakota people would be to think of Devils tower as a Church to Christians.
Now for my opinion I could not believe the ignorance and closed minded some of the locals had to say about the Natives Americans and Devils Tower. Especially, when the old women said thought the prayer bundles the Native Americans tie to the trees was like hanging dirty laundry out to dry. I was also appalled when they claimed they were their before the Native Americans. I felt the prayer bundles gave the park a spiritual experience with all the bright colors and could really feel the connection the Native Americans have with the land. Also it was very narrow minded and disrespectful for the local to say they were there before the Native Americans just because they did not really see the Native Americans.
Jake July 20, 2018
I was absent on Monday and I did not get to see this. I have always thought it would be cool to climb devils tower. It is something that has always interested me. Know this now, thanks to your post, I really don’t want to anymore. Theres plenty of other non sacred structures out there that are just as cool that people can climb.
It also sucks that people in the community are just disregarding the Native American beliefs. I wish that people would understand that just because it’s not a culture that their used to, that doesn’t mean that its ok to just shit on it.
I feel like the government should work with the local Native Americans and help them ban climbing on Devils Tower. Also I think someone in the local community should hold a seminar to educate those who don’t like what the natives are doing. Hopefully this can show them that they’re not just hanging out their dirty laundry to dry.