To the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne, this land was holy—a sacred place of solitude, introspection and prayer—but its ruggedness, despite the eerie beauty, did not encourage long-term settlement. Many avoided the area entirely as the domain of the gods.
The Lakota name Paha Sapa (Black Mountains) is easy to explain: Seen from a distance, thick spruce and ponderosa pine forests create an undulating, dusky blanket that contrasts sharply with the light greens and yellows of encircling prairie grasses.
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