Bear Butte Bear Butte is a very sacred site to many different Indigenous people’s cultures. Each of these cultures has their own origin story for the Butte. Bear Butte was the most sacred to the Cheyenne and to the Lakota peoples. The Cheyenne called it Noaha vose and Nahkohe vose meaning the giving hill and bear hill. The buttes origin story for the Cheyenne comes from the legend of Sweet Medicine. (Kinsella “Bear Butte: Crossroads of History”). Sweet Medicine travelled to the sacred butte, where the mountain opened up for him so that he was able to go inside. Inside, the butte it looked like a tipi that had many sacred spirits inside. “The spirits taught Sweet Medicine how the Cheyenne were supposed to live. The spirits gave Sweet Medicine four arrows, two for hunting and the other two for war.” (Richard Erdoes, “Life and Death of Sweet Medicine”). Bear Butte was also the site where Sweet Medicine joined the five bands of the Cheyenne. “The Aortas and the Eaters, who travelled southwest from the vicinity of the Mandan’s and were joined together at Bear Butte in the Black Hills by the prophet Sweet Medicine. The tribal circle they formed had the Aortas on the south side of the opening and the Eaters on the North. Later they were joined by the Sutaios.”(Moore 117). The Lakota called Bear Butte Mato Paha, which translates to Bear Mountain.
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(Kinsella “Bear Butte: Crossroads of History”). To the Lakota, Bear Butte is their most important land are because it displays the seven sacred elements land, air, water, rocks, animals, plants, and fire. (Leeming and Holman “Bear Butte”). Bear Butte is also where the Lakota were given the Seven Sacred Rites from the White Buffalo Woman. White Buffalo Woman gave the Lakota people the peace pipe, in which the entire Lakota is based around. (Powers, Garrett, and Martin “Lakota Religious Traditions”). The second rite is Hanbleceyapi or a spirit quest. For the Spirit quest, an individual travels to Bear Butte and finds a spot in solitude. The Individual then prays and sings to the Great Spirit for their vision quest. (Powers “Yuwipi, Vision and Experience in Oglala Ritual”) Bear Butte is also the site in which Crazy Horse experienced his vision that depicted his future life as a warrior. “It was a rider on the back of Curly’s own pony, yet the horse and the man floated in the air. As the man rode closer, Curly saw that he wore blue leggings and his face was not painted. A single feather hung from his long brown hair. Behind one ear a round stone was tied. A red-backed hawk flew above the man's head. Curly heard these words, which were not spoken.” Eventually, he told his father about his vision. "The man on that horse," Curly's father said, "is the one you will become. You will be first to defend your people, though some will try to hold you back. As long as you keep nothing for yourself, no arrow or bullet can hurt you. Because of the vision you must have a new name, so I give you my own. From now on, you will be Tashunka Witco."(Bruchac“Crazy Horse’s Vision”). In 1857 leaders of the
(Kinsella “Bear Butte: Crossroads of History”). To the Lakota, Bear Butte is their most important land are because it displays the seven sacred elements land, air, water, rocks, animals, plants, and fire. (Leeming and Holman “Bear Butte”). Bear Butte is also where the Lakota were given the Seven Sacred Rites from the White Buffalo Woman. White Buffalo Woman gave the Lakota people the peace pipe, in which the entire Lakota is based around. (Powers, Garrett, and Martin “Lakota Religious Traditions”). The second rite is Hanbleceyapi or a spirit quest. For the Spirit quest, an individual travels to Bear Butte and finds a spot in solitude. The Individual then prays and sings to the Great Spirit for their vision quest. (Powers “Yuwipi, Vision and Experience in Oglala Ritual”) Bear Butte is also the site in which Crazy Horse experienced his vision that depicted his future life as a warrior. “It was a rider on the back of Curly’s own pony, yet the horse and the man floated in the air. As the man rode closer, Curly saw that he wore blue leggings and his face was not painted. A single feather hung from his long brown hair. Behind one ear a round stone was tied. A red-backed hawk flew above the man's head. Curly heard these words, which were not spoken.” Eventually, he told his father about his vision. "The man on that horse," Curly's father said, "is the one you will become. You will be first to defend your people, though some will try to hold you back. As long as you keep nothing for yourself, no arrow or bullet can hurt you. Because of the vision you must have a new name, so I give you my own. From now on, you will be Tashunka Witco."(Bruchac“Crazy Horse’s Vision”). In 1857 leaders of the