How the Black Hills of South Dakota Got its Name
With the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally roaring to its conclusion and the summer travel season nearing its end, the Black Hills will be quieter in the coming months. But there's no denying the hills are one of the most special parts of all of South Dakota. And how they became known as the "Black Hills" is a story every South Dakotan should know.
How the Black Hills Came to Be
The Black Hills were first formed in the age of the dinosaurs. Around 65-70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. It is estimated that when the hills were first formed, they reached an elevation of well over 15,000 feet. Today, the highest point of the Black Hills is Black Elk Peak (Harney Peak) with an elevation of 7,242 feet.
As for the human history of the Black Hills, it's not as long as you might think. The first signs of civilization in the area go back to around 1743 when French explorers claimed the region for the country of France. Later the Sioux Indian tribes moved into the hills from Wisconsin and built a lasting culture there.
The railroad brought even more people to the Black Hills nearly one hundred years later, and that's also when the first maps of the area were drawn. But what about their name? It turns out it comes from the Lakotah.
The name "Black Hills" is a translation of the Lakota phrase "Lakota Pahá Sápa". The reason they named them that? It was because of how the hills looked from a distance.
The next time you go to the Black Hills, pay attention to what they look like from miles and miles away. They do have a tinge of darkness to them. It's not an optical illusion, it's mainly because they're covered in trees. From a distance, the trees give the appearance that the hills are black, which they are not.
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Story Sources: Moon Website