Spirit Mound

While recently reading an edited and abridged version of the Louis and Clark expedition, I ran across this interesting August 24, 1804 entry attributed to Clark:

From "The Journals of Lewis and Clark/by Merriwether Lewis and William Clark; edited and abrdged by Anthony Brandt" (National Geographic Adventure Classics) p.56

...the boat passed a small river called by the Indians White Stone River (the present Vermillion River) The river is about 30 yards wide and runs through a plain or prairie in its whole course. In a northerly direction from the mouth of this creek in an immense plain a high hill is situated, and appears in a conic form. By the different nations of Indians in this quarter it is supposed to be the residence of devils. They are in human form with remarkable large heads and about 18 inches high, they are very watchful, and are armed with sharp arrows with which they can kill at a great distance. They are said to kill all persons who are so hardy as to attempt to approach the hill. They state that tradition informs them that many Indians have suffered by these little people. Among others three Omaha men fell a sacrifice to their their merciless fury not many years since. So much do the Omaha, Sioux, Otos and other neighboring nations believe this fable that no consideration is sufficient to induce them to approach the hill.
The hill in question in now known as Spirit Mound.

I was intrigued by the large-headed, alien-like description of these little "devils". Is anyone familiar with this fable or of any suggestion that it could be something other than a fable?

The indian tales are an interesting read, but remember they also had white shirts that would protect them from bullets lol.

Spirit Mound Trust

It would appear it became a feed lot and now is owned by the Spirit Mound Trust which is restoring it to Prairie land. They of course are taking donations.