{"id":13515,"date":"2021-03-05T03:55:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T08:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/bill-introduced-to-block-devils-tower-name-change\/"},"modified":"2021-03-05T03:55:50","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T08:55:50","slug":"bill-introduced-to-block-devils-tower-name-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/bill-introduced-to-block-devils-tower-name-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill introduced to block Devil\u2019s Tower name change"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cynthia Lummis<\/strong>, a junior United States Senator from Wyoming<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

WYOMING \u2013 Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) has brought back legislation that would protect the name of Devils Tower National Monument from being changed.<\/p>\n

The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), would ensure the name Devils Tower for the monument and the populated area around it in all official capacities. While such a bill is being considered by congress, the United States Board on Geographic Names cannot proceed with a name change that Native Americans have been pursuing for decades. Lummis\u2019 bill is not the first legislation to use such a tactic as similar bills to stall the name change were made by the Wyoming delegation in 2015 and 2019.<\/p>\n

Among the most recent calls for changing the name of Devils Tower came from Chief Arvol Looking Horse in 2014 when he submitted a proposal to the United States Board on Geographic Names. He requested the monument and area be re-named Bear Lodge, a traditional name for the site.<\/p>\n

Looking Horse, backed by spiritual leaders from 20 tribes, has said that the name invokes anxiety and anger among Native Americans. He said that for the 19 generations that have used the site for ceremonies, a good heart and mind are essential for prayer and the name Devils Tower does not support that.<\/p>\n

According to the National Park Service, the site was ascribed \u201cthe names \u2018Bear Lodge,\u2019 \u2018Bears Lodge,\u2019 and \u2018Mato Teepee\u2019\u201d on many maps prior to 1901. It wasn\u2019t until 1875 when Lt. Col. Richard Dodge ventured into the Black Hills region to confirm the existence of gold reported by Gen. George A. Custer that a mistranslation of the site was recorded as \u2018The Bad God\u2019s Tower.\u2019<\/p>\n

The translation recorded by Dodge resulted in some maps portraying \u2018Devils Tower\u2019 as the name and subsequently the name of the first national monument proclaimed in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.<\/p>\n

After Chief Looking Horse\u2019s request in 2014, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) issued a resolution in support of the name change. The resolution states that history prescribed the name \u2018Bear Lodge\u2019 to the site and that Looking Horse\u2019s request was not new, but in fact Native Americans had been arguing for over a century that the name was \u201coffensive, insulting, and disparaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

The resolution continues to cite that changing the name of a national monument is not unprecedented. \u201cWhereas, nine of the eighteen national monuments established by President Theodore Roosevelt have either been abolished or no longer retain their original monument designation, and almost half of the current national parks have undergone a significant change in their name, agency, boundaries, showing historical precedent for enacting change to reflect the nation\u2019s values, and priorities,\u201d the resolution states.<\/p>\n

Opponents to changing the name of the monument, including members of the Wyoming delegation, say that changing the name would negatively impact the state\u2019s popular tourism site. \u201cDevils Tower is one of the most iconic sights in Wyoming,\u201d said Lummis. \u201cIt\u2019s the first national monument in the United States, and a place of significance for everyone who sees it, from the tourists who visit to the native peoples and Wyoming residents who live nearby. Devils Tower is well known across the country and around the world as a historical and cultural landmark, and it is critical that we maintain its legacy and its name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the time of Looking Horse\u2019s 2014 request, many popular sites have changed their named. Mount McKinley was renamed to Mount Denali to reflect the traditional name prescribed by Native Americans. Harney Peak, South Dakota\u2019s highest peak, was renamed Black Elk Peak in order to shine light on a more positive history.<\/p>\n

(Contact Travis at travisldewes@gmail.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The post Bill introduced to block Devil\u2019s Tower name change<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Cynthia Lummis, a junior United States Senator from Wyoming WYOMING \u2013 Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) has brought back legislation that would protect the name of Devils Tower National Monument from being changed. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), would ensure the name Devils Tower for the <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> March 5, 2021<\/p>\n

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