The Black Hills, Part II

Wherein Moominmama hikes Black Elk Peak, the site of Black Elk's vision quest and the highest point in South Dakota...

Black Elk Peak was renamed for the Oglala warrior and wise man only 10 years ago, one year after Mount McKinley was renamed Denali in Alaska. Don't tell President Trump because both these name changes happened under President Obama, and Trump has already undone the Alaska renaming.

Prior to the change, Black Elk Peak bore the name of the U.S. Army general responsible for a major massacre of Lakota families in 1855, and the lookout tower at Black Elk Peak built by the Civilian Conservation Corps still bears his name: Harney. To the Lakota, he is "Woman Killer."

Nicholas Black Elk was a second cousin to Crazy Horse and present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. (In 2021, Moominmama wrote about the Battle of the Little Bighorn.) 

He later fought at Wounded Knee, but he is best known as a medicine man and visionary whose vision quest took him to this Black Hills peak at age 18. That makes it holy ground for the Oglala and many others who were inspired by his life and his words.

Black Elk Peak remains a place of pilgrimage, with scarves, ribbons and small gifts left by Lakota and other Native visitors. Here you can see Harney tower in the background. It was quite the hike!

Moominmama has been puzzling over the name Paha Sapa, or Black Hills, because this granite is light in color, with a lot of quartz and mica. The limestone I saw in the southern hills near Wind Cave is also pale in color. 

Perhaps the name came from an area further north in Spearfish where Dijon mustard-colored sandstone appears to have been splashed by black paint? 

Ye olde Google search returns that the hills, covered in dark spruce and Ponderosa pine, appeared black as seen from the Plains below and came by their name for that reason. At least we got the translation right this time.

Whatever the reason, these are a beautiful and diverse ecosystem, and Moominmama has enjoyed exploring even if it means sharing them with a lot of other people! 

Moominmama just purchased copy of the book "Black Elk Speaks," based on interviews conducted in the 1930s by poet John G. Neihardt, with Black Elk's son as his interpreter. I know the book was popular in the 1960s, so perhaps some of my older F/friends are familiar with it. But it will be new to me!

Climbing Black Elk Peak was a highlight of my time here, though the wind and jagged rock would have made it a harsh place for a vision quest. More welcoming was a walk through Spearfish Canyon, including Spearfish Falls. Moominmama always enjoys the canyons, especially if they include a creek and some waterfalls.

It has been hot here though we've had afternoon storms to clear the air (and add to the humidity). Fortunately, there are also plentiful lakes, and Moominmama has spent hot afternoons swimming and kayaking to beat the heat.

Below, a photo taken in Sylvan Lake with a heron standing guard! When you hear from me next I will be in North Dakota , where I will visit the brand new Theodore Roosevelt National Library. More to come!



Location: Hill City, SD, USA

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