SACRED MOUNTAIN Climbing Inyan Kara >> By Jerry Penry, PS Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 10 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com rom many miles away, solitary mountains have captured the attention of explorers and surveyors. Undoubtedly, thoughts of climbing to the summit dominated their minds as they drew closer. Likewise, Native Americans were drawn to isolated mountains and even revered them with spiritual practices. Inyan Kara Mountain is located in northeastern Wyoming approximately five miles off the western edge of the Black Hills and 13 miles south of the town of Sundance. The mountain rises to a height of 6370 feet above sea level and, at well over 1300 feet above the surrounding terrain, can be described as a solitary peak. The name, Inyan Kara, is a modern term derived from the Lakota word, “Heeng-ya ka-ga”, which means “rock gatherer”, or “the peak which makes stone”. Inyan means “stone” in the Dakota language. The word Kara is not part of this language, but is thought to have been a corruption of “Ka-ga” which translates, “to make”. The name probably refers to the fact that the mountain has long been a place for native peoples to gather quartzite for knapping into projectile points and Above: Lt. G. K. Warren of the U. S. Topographical Engineers led the first military expedition to Inyan Kara in 1857 resulting in a tense standoff with the Sioux Indians. Library of Congress. Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 10 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com The peak of Inyan Kara is hidden by the Above: Chief Red Cloud southeastern portion of the horseshoe- gave a clear message shaped outer rim that surrounds the to Sir George Gore at mountain. Arrowleaf Balsam Root is in Inyan Kara in 1856 that full bloom on the mountain in late May. depredation of game would not be tolerated. Library of Congress. other tools. There is a site near the base of Inyan Kara that shows evidence of flint-knapping for over 10,000 years, so it is assumed the mountain was an Left: U. S. Deputy important location for native people to Surveyor Louis F. Stahle gather stone for projectile points and surveyed the area in other tools. 1882 at the age of 21. Early Native Americans and explorers Two years later he was stated the mountain rumbled, however dead from a well-aimed there was no evidence of this noise bullet at Spearfish. being heard after 1833. Geologists have surmised the noises were the result of The Indians were camped near a party camped nearby as negotiations hydrogen escaping from underground large herd of buffalo whose hair had not continued through an interpreter. The burning coal seams. sufficiently grown to make robes, so they Indians were joined by a large group One of the earliest military expeditions were closely following the herd as the of Unkpapas and Sihasapas who were to approach Inyan Kara was led by Lt. season progressed until they felt it was half-avowed enemies, but had no issue G. K. Warren of the U. S. Topographical time to start taking them. The Warren with joining forces against the white man. Engineers. This expedition, with a expedition was denied any attempt To make matters further uncomfortable, backing of $25,000, left Fort Laramie on to kill any of the buffalo fearing they Warren’s party suffered two days and September 4, 1857, and reached the area would stampede and thwart the efforts nights in a storm of sleet and snow with of the mountain on September 12. At the Indians had taken in herding them. little protection. The Indian interpreter this location, the expedition met a large Warren decided it was an unnecessary considered the danger so imminent that force of Sioux Indians who made every risk to allow his party to their own he deserted his military party and joined indication that the military party would interests and subject a cruelty to the sides with the Minikanyes. Under such not be allowed to pass through the area. Indians to drive them to commit any embarrassing circumstances, Warren Some of the natives were intent upon desperate act which would surely bring decided to wait a third day with the hope attacking Warren’s small group of 21 retribution upon them at a later date. of the arrival of a leader named Bear’s men. The battle would have undoubtedly Near the mountain were forty teepees Rib who could decide if the party would been lopsided in favor of the Indians had which were mostly occupied by friendly continue or be turned back. During this they not feared later retribution. members of the Minikanyes. Warren’s time, Warren’s party obtained astronomi- Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 10 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Library of Congress. Lt. Col. George A. Custer visited Inyan Kara in 1874 during his expedition to the Black Hills seeking gold. His chiseled name is still very visible on the summit. Two years later Custer would be killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. cal readings and determined the position Inyan Kara was the location where the such depredations of the important game of Inyan Kara. They finally decided to Indians had plundered Sir George Gore’s in the area would not be tolerated. Gore turn east and go around the south side of hunting party a year earlier in 1856. Gore and his men were allowed to survive with the Black Hills instead of through them. was a wealthy Irish nobleman from Sligo, their lives to ensure the message reached The Warren party determined Ireland, who came to America for sport others, but only because a member longitude by moon culminations while and adventure. His party had reportedly of their party understood the Sioux the latitude was determined by double killed an estimated 6000 bison, 1600 elk language and was able to convince Red altitudes of Polaris. Great local magnetic and deer, and 105 grizzly bears. When Cloud to spare their lives. One member disturbances were found on the summit the Sioux Indians, led by Chief Red of the Gore party died two days later of Inyan Kara of such magnitude that Cloud, surrounded the sportsmen near from wounds received during the alterca- even the smallest rock when brought Inyan Kara, an altercation ensued. The tion. Warren’s group observed that one of near the needle would carry it completely Sioux took the Gore party’s horses, guns, Gore’s best horses was seen mounted by around the circle with little trouble. and clothes to give a clear message that one of the Indians. The mountain lured another military party in 1874 when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led a large expedition, estimated to be around 1,000 men, through the Black Hills in search of gold. Among the equipment of the expedi- tion were three Gatling guns and one three-inch gun. The size of the party was not to cause trouble with the Indians, but rather to prevent it. During a climb to the summit of Inyan Kara on July 23, 1874, the inscription “G CUSTER 74” was cut into a flat rock near the highest point. Most historians agree that Custer himself probably did not make the inscription, but instead was the work of either Colonel William Ludlow or by General George A. “Sandy” Forsyth. The view from the summit was less than the men expected because the Sioux had Bison were once numerous and freely roamed the mountain. Today they are confined set fire to a large portion of the prairie to Custer State Park near Hot Springs in the Black Hills. to the south and west. The haze from Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 10 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com yards to the south of the summit. The majority of Inyan Kara resides in Section 19 of T49N, R62W. Louis Stahle was the younger brother of famed western surveyor Edward F. Stahle. Both brothers were from a family of civil engineers and surveyors from the San Francisco, California, area that had taken residency in Cheyenne, Wyoming. On April 8, 1884, Louis Stahl, according to witnesses, initiated a fight with Jack Morris in a saloon in Spearfish, Dakota Territory. Two of Custer’s men died near Inyan Kara during the 1874 expedition. One the result After a verbal confrontation, Stahle drew of sickness and the other from a gunshot. his revolver and fired at Morris, narrowly missing him. Morris fired back and the smoke obscured most of the easily 3, 1875, McGillicuddy and Tuttle fatally struck Stahle. The young deputy viewed distant peaks they had hoped to recorded their own observations upon surveyor died at the age of 22. view. After a two hour wait, the smoke the summit of Inyan Kara. The U. S. Coast & Geodetic Survey only grew denser, so the party returned In October of 1881, twenty-year-old came to the area in 1912 to establish a to camp. Three weeks later news of U. S. Deputy Surveyor Louis Stahle triangulation network including the plac- the discovery of gold by the Custer passed about 465 yards west of the ing of a point on the summit of Inyan Expedition was made public and forever summit of Inyan Kara while establish- Kara designated “Inyankara”, but never changed the dynamics of the region. ing the west line of T49N, R62W of stamped upon the bronze disk. In addi- Approximately four miles east of the 6th PM.