[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 140 (Wednesday, October 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SIMPSON:
  S. 2188. A bill to provide for the retention of the name of the 
mountain at the Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming known as 
``Devils Tower'', and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.


             THE DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT ACT OF 1996

 Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, I introduce a bill which will 
enable Devils Tower National Monument to retain its historic name.
  This national monument--indeed, our Nation's first national 
monument--has been known as ``Devils Tower'' for over 120 years. It is 
known the world over as perhaps one of the most distinguishing natural 
features of my State and is universally known for providing some of the 
best crack climbing in the world.
  In short, Mr. President, Devils Tower--and worldwide recognition of 
it, even through such movies as ``Close Encounters of the Third 
Kind''--is vitally important to my State, which depends so heavily on 
our tourism industry. But, to no one's surprise, there are always those 
out there who cannot leave a perfectly good thing alone. William 
Shakespeare said it well in ``King Lear'': ``Striving to better, oft we 
mar what's well.''
  According to a July 17, 1996 release by the U.S. Board of Geographic 
Names, the National Park Service has advised the Board that several 
native American groups intend to submit a proposal--it may already have 
been submitted--to change the name of the monument. The intention--and 
a perfectly worthy one--is to find a name that is less offensive to 
native Americans, many of whom regard the monument as sacred.
  Mr. President, I am fully sensitive to the feelings of those involved 
with this initiative. My great-grandfather, Finn Burnett, was asked to 
be the ``boss farmer'' for Chief Washaki of the Shoshone Tribe. And my 
great uncle Deck married a full-blooded Shoshone. However, I do join my 
House counterpart, Congresswoman Barbara Cubin, in earnestly believing 
that little will be gained from a name change, and much history and 
tradition could be lost.

  Be aware that there is no obvious traditional Indian name standing as 
the obvious alternative designation. The disparate native American 
groups behind this proposal cannot even agree on what the proper name 
should be. They seem only to agree on what it should not be--Devils 
Tower.
  The number of suggested ``aboriginal names'' is as numerous as the 
number of different groups clamoring for the change. Among the 
candidates are Bear's Lodge, Grizzly Bear's Lodge, Bear's Tipi, Bear's 
Lair, Bear Lodge, Bear Lodge Butte, Tree Rock, and many others. So we 
should all understand that this is not a matter of changing the name of 
Devils Tower back to another which would be widely agreed upon and 
recognized by most native Americans. Instead, this initiative seems to 
accomplish little more than to dredge up age-old conflicts and 
divisions between descendants of European settlers and descendants of 
native Americans. This is most unfortunate and would result only in 
economic hardship for the area's citizens--``Indian'' and ``non-
Indian'' alike. My legislation would prevent such hardship and preserve 
the name of Devils Tower, a name widely recognized and certainly the 
furthest thing from being offensive to any particular ethnic group. I 
urge my colleagues to support this measure.
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