Mirror of heaven: Cross-cultural transference of the sacred geography of the Black Hills

The Black Hills are a mountain group on the northern plains of North America considered sacred by several Native American groups. Several groups shared a conceptual association between Black Hills landscape features, constellations, seasonal movements and mythology. These groups include the Lakotas, Cheyennes, Kiowas and Kiowa-Apaches. Beliefs about the sacred geography of the area were transferred from group to group as new peoples entered the area over the course of several centuries.