He Sapa: The Heart of Everything That Is

For the Oceti Sakowin—the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota—the He Sapa (Black Hills) are more than mountains and valleys. They are the heart of Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) and the center of the people’s spiritual universe. The stars above, the land below, and the ceremonies of the people are bound together in this sacred place.

The Sky and the Land: A Mirror of Creation

The Lakota say that what exists above has a reflection below. The Black Hills are not only a physical homeland but also a sacred mirror of the heavens. Constellations such as Tayamni (the Buffalo), Wicincala Sakowin (the Seven Little Girls/Pleiades), Ki Inyanka Ocanku (the Race Track), and Mato Tipila (Bear’s Lodge) align with places in the Black Hills.

When the sun or moon moves into these constellations, ceremonies take place on earth. For example:

• Cansasa Ipusye (Dried Willow): In spring, the people harvested red willow for the pipe rites.

• Wicincala Sakowin (Seven Little Girls): Ceremonies to welcome the thunders were held in the high places.

• Pesla (the Bald Spot, at the center of the Hills): Renewal ceremonies for all life took place here.

• Mato Tipila (Bear’s Lodge/Devils Tower): At summer solstice, the great Sun Dance was held, when the power of the sun was strongest.

These connections show that the Black Hills are more than geography—they are a living ceremonial calendar, synchronized with the stars.

Stories That Root the People

The Black Hills are alive with stories passed down through generations. At Hinhan Kaga (the Owl-Making Hill, today known as Black Elk Peak), the tale of the Seven Little Girls reminds the people to protect children and remain vigilant. At Mato Tipila (Bear’s Lodge), legends of the girls rescued from the claws of bears, or the brothers who fought a giant bear, mark the tower’s sacredness. These stories are written not in books, but in the very stones and skies of the Black Hills.

He Sapa as the Heart of Everything

From above, the Black Hills resemble the shape of a heart, and within them are sacred forms—the Keya (turtle), Agleska (salamander), and Tayamni (buffalo)—seen in both land formations and constellations. For the Oceti Sakowin, this is no coincidence. The Black Hills embody life itself. They are the center of the world, the heart of everything that is.

The Oceti Sakowin in the Sky

The sacredness of the Black Hills is also reflected in the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires) constellation, known to others as the Big Dipper. Its seven stars represent the seven divisions of the nation. Just as the Dipper revolves in the heavens, the people once moved seasonally in ceremonies and camps around the Black Hills, guided by the stars.

Treaties and the Rightful Claim to He Sapa

The Oceti Sakowin’s relationship to He Sapa is not only spiritual—it is also a matter of law. In the Fort Laramie Treaties of 1851 and 1868, the United States solemnly promised that the Black Hills and surrounding lands would belong to the Lakota “for their absolute and undisturbed use and occupation.”

Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1851 — Article 5

“The aforesaid Indian nations do hereby recognize and acknowledge the following tracts of country… set apart for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupation of the Indians herein named.”

This article clearly included the Black Hills within the Great Sioux Nation’s territory, to remain untouched by settlers.

Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1868 — Article II

“The United States agrees that the following district of country… including the Black Hills, shall be and the same is hereby set apart for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupation of the Indians herein named, and for such other friendly tribes or individual Indians as from time to time they may be willing, with the consent of the United States, to admit among them; and the United States now solemnly agrees that no persons except those herein designated and authorized… shall ever be permitted to pass over, settle upon, or reside in the territory described.”

These words remain binding promises. Despite gold rush invasions and government seizure, the Oceti Sakowin never ceded the Black Hills. The U.S. Supreme Court itself, in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians (1980), affirmed that the land was taken illegally in violation of the 1868 Treaty.

Why Peta Omniciye, Inc. Was Created

This is why Peta Omniciye, Inc. was formed: to remind the world of the sacredness of He Sapa, and to educate both Native and non-Native peoples about why the Lakota continue to seek the return of these ancient lands.

He Sapa is not only a cultural and ceremonial center—it is treaty-protected land, promised in perpetuity.

To honor these teachings is to honor life itself. To stand with the Oceti Sakowin is to affirm that treaties matter, and that the heart of the world must be respected, protected, and returned.