Mato Tipila: Devils’ Tower

A Lakota elder, Mr. Johnson Holy Rock, notified Bring Back the Way one early summer day.  The discussion was involving a special place to the Lakota, a sacred mountain we call Mato Tipila, that the rest of the non-Indigenous world calls “Devils Tower”.  Our highly respected elder, Mr. Holy Rock, was very upset because some people were soon to be making fun of our sacred mountain.  Mr. Holy Rock said some extreme sports people would climb our mountain, and jump off to iron clothes-making fun of Mato Tipila in order to create publicity for their multi-national corporation.

            “Let this letter be conveyed to the organizers who wish to climb Mato Tipila for personal reasons.  Too many times, people of other cultures continue to desecrate areas that are extremely sacred to the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Nations.  It is certain that what this organization is attempting to do would not be permitted at the Basicala in the Vatican or other churches throughout the world.  We consider Mato Tipila just as sacred and its meaning to our people must be highly respected.  We view this stunt as a violation of our sacred Mato Tipila and everything that we hold in high regard.” said Mr. Holy Rock.

            People traveling as a delegation to represent Owe Aku included about twenty young Lakota men, several from the Lakota Brave Heart Society, men from the Ponca Nation, Apache Nation, Lakota grandmothers and grandfathers, young Lakota mothers and fathers, and young folks from the Owe Aku Lakota Media Project, who filmed during the course of the day and interviewed Park officials, climbers, law enforcement and others.  This delegation held a prayer ceremony and a discussion, and decided to take direct action to stop this desecration of our sacred mountain.  Young men went to the mountain to pray with their canupa, and others guarded their prayer journey, to stop the event of desecration. 

            Owe Aku did not request a permit or application from the Forest Service.  Owe Aku stood in sovereignty and freedom on the sacred mountain.  Although there were many law enforcement officers called in -and on stand by near the entrance to the mountain- Owe Aku went in before sunrise and was already on the mountain, refusing to ask for a permit. 

            Around noon that day, Arvol Looking Horse, a Lakota man who is the 19^th generation keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, arrived at Mato Tipila with a film crew from Japan.  Our brother Arvol stood in solidarity with us that day, and asked his film crew to respect our stand and not film our sacred mountain. 

            Many climbers took heed of our message, and did not climb that day.  A few climbers said they had the right to climb as that was their expression of prayer, to climb. Owe Aku protestors made prayers through the buffalo skull on top on Mato Tipila to the sacred directions. 

            After many hours of a stand off, the sports people eventually left Mato Tipila. Owe Aku spokesmen advised the sports people to go climb Mount Rushmore.