How old is the Cheyenne legend of Devils Tower

Question

i'm doing a research report on native american legends and can't find how old the Cheyenne tribe's legend of Devils tower is. Some help?

Answer 1

Probably for as long as the Cheyenne have been in that area. Which might be easier to look up.

P.S. And fyi, so you aren't accidentally claiming otherwise, "Mateo Tepee" (Mato Tipi - Bear House/lodge) is Lakota/Dakota "Sioux," so that particular story may be theirs and not from the Cheyenne.

Answer 2

got no idea  

Answer 3

The legend of the "Lodge of the Grizzly Bear" ("Mateo Tepee" what we now call Devil's Tower) was first recorded on paper in the 1830's by trappers (it's not known who got told the legend, which was related to someone in Lewis & Clark's expedition before they left on their voyage).

However, the legend itself is likely far older than that, because oral traditions in Native American belief can sometimes be traced back 10-12 generations. In order to find out who told it first, the only answer is a time machine.