Seemingly in contradiction with the vast, complicated cave system below, the largest and most well-known natural entrance to Wind Cave is only about 10 inches wide. You can visit this entrance without being a part of an official tour; it is just a few hundred yards from the Visitor Center along a paved path. This is a very spiritual place for over 20 different Native American groups; it is considered the birthplace of the Lakota nation. In modern Lakota, this place is called Maka Oniye or "breathing earth," and is the passageway from where the first humans and bison emerged from deep below the earth. Many tribes utilize the park and this entrance to the Wind Cave for ceremonies. You might see prayer cloths and prayer bundles attached to trees around the natural entrance. Please avoid touching, disturbing, or photographing these cloths; treat this spot like you would a church or any other place of worship.