Pipestone, Minnesota: Sacred Land or Tourist Trap?
(Please read thru all of the pages on this small site, that way you will get the picture of what is happening and what Pipestone is all about. Page 2 is especially crucial as the developers information is on there. Page 3 gives the history of the Pipestone area, and page 5 is the comments page where your views can be listed, in addition to what you write on the petition. There is also a link to the Little Feather Interpretive Center and Museum in Pipestone, it is owned and operated by the Dakota people themselves. The final page is the link to the petition)
THE SACRED
How can I describe in words what the area of what is now known as Pipestone has meant to Native Americans throughout the ages? It is difficult to find the words to paint a picture of reverence, spirituality, awe, and way of life. Maybe instead of finding them myself I should use words that were written by those who have had a meaningful relationship with the area and the ceremonial pipes that are crafted from the stone (Catlinite) that is quarried here.
"On our way to this place," (Pipestone) my English companion and myself were arrested by a rascally band of the Sioux, and held in durance vile, for having dared to approach the sacred fountain of the pipe! While we had halted at a place called Traverse des Sioux, about 150 miles from the Red Pipe, a murky cloud of dark-visaged warriors and braves commenced gathering around the house, closing and cramming all its avenues, when one began his agitated and insulting harangue to us, announcing to us in the preamble, that we were prisoners, and could not go ahead. About twenty of them spoke in turn; and we were doomed to sit nearly the whole afternoon, without being allowed to speak a word in our behalf, until they had all got through. We were compelled to keep our seats like culprits, and hold our tongues, till all had brandished their fists in our faces, and vented all the threats and invective which could flow from Indian malice, grounded on the presumption that we had come to trespass on their dearest privilege,—their religion. "
That was written by George Catlin in 1863 on one of his trips west. As you can see by his words he was stopped 150 miles away from Pipestone, so can you imagine how these people would have felt knowing a Theme Park would be built in the future a mere mile or so away from the quarries? They would have been devastated just as we are. Please read on for more information.
"This
round rock, which is made of the same red stone as the bowl of the pipe,
your Father Wakan-Tanka has also given to you. It is the Earth, your
Grand-mother and Mother, and it is where you live and increase."
White Buffalo Calf Woman to the Lakota People.
"This area has always been a very
sacred and spiritual place, a place where all people regardless of tribal
affiliation gathered in peace and laid down their weapons of war. So
sacred that the quarries were given hallowed ground status and no one
would step foot in the area unless they have been purified in ceremony
and it was only the men, since they were the one's that quarried. Native
Americans have the deepest respect for the area in old and modern time"...
Chuck Derby (Running Elk) - 5th generation quarrier
and pipe maker.
"The People will live for as long
as the (sacred) rites are known and the pipe is used. But as soon as
the sacred pipe is forgotton, the people will be without a center and
they will perish."
Elk Head, (Keeper of the Sacred Pipe) to Black
Elk (Lakota Holy Man 1862 - 1950).
"I am grateful to the Sioux pipe
makers at Pipestone who laboriously dig the red stone by hand. They
forbid the use of power tools in the quarries and, therefore, do not
take it the easy way. After they have obtained the Catlinite, they spend
many hours cutting, filing, and shaping the peace pipe. Their portable
altars have helped people of all colors understand the beseechment of
the four directions and ultimately the relationship of the two-leggeds
with Mother Earth"
excerpt from 'Mother Earth Spirituality'
by Ed McGaa (Eagle Man.)
And about the Quarries:
"Today, the Pipestone Quarry in
Minnesota is designated as a National Monument. Here a number of Chippewa
and Siouz craftsmen, many of third or fourth generation pipe-makers,
carry on the art."
From 'North American Indians', a book
published in England. 1997
"The Pipestone Quarry is one of
the best known American Indian sites. For centuries, Indians have come
here to get the red stone for their ceremonial pipes and figures. Many
legends relate to the area and the stone, some romanticized and some
authentic, but there is no doubt that the Pipe was (is) smoked in sacred
ritual by many tribes."
'Our Minnesota' Voyageur Press, MN 1992
"The Great Spirit at an ancient period, here called the Indian nations together, and standing on the precipice of the red pipe stone rock, broke from its wall a piece, and made a huge pipe by turning it in his hand, which he smoked over them, and to the North, the South, the East, and the West, and told them that this stone was red—that it was their flesh—that they must use it for their pipes of peace—that it belonged to them all, and that the war-club and scalping knife must not be raised on its ground. At the last whiff of his pipe his head went into a great cloud, and the whole surface of the rock for several miles was melted and glazed; two great ovens were opened beneath, and two women (guardian spirits of the place), entered them in a blaze of fire; and they are heard there yet (Tso-mec-cos-tee, and Tso-m e-cos-te-won-dee), answering to the invocations of the high priests or medicine-men, who consult them when they are visitors to this sacred place.''
Near this spot, also, on a high mound,
is the "Thunder's nest" (nid-du-Tonnere), where "a very small bird sits
upon her eggs during fair weather, and the skies are rent with bolts
of thunder at the approach of a storm, which is occasioned by the hatching
of her brood!"
Story related to George Catlin by the Dakota
in 1836
"Indians have labored here very hard
with hoes and axes, the only tools except large stones...we found a
six pound cannon ball that the Indians have brought there from the Missouri
to break the rock."
Philander Prescott, who was probably the
first white man to see the quarry in 1831
"This curious stone has many peculiar
qualities, and has, undoubtedly, but one origin in this country, and
perhaps in the world. It is found but in the hands of ..... every tribe,
and nearly every individual in the tribe has his pipe made of it. I
consider this stone a subject of great interest, and curiosity to the
world; and I shall most assuredly make it a point, during my Indian
rambles, to visit the place from whence it is brought. I have already
got a number of most remarkable traditions and stories relating to the
"sacred quarry;" of pilgrimages performed there to procure the stone,
and of curious transactions that have taken place on that ground. It
seems, from all I can learn, that all the tribes in these regions, and
also of the Mississippi and the Lakes, have been in the habit of going
to that place, and meeting their enemies there, whom they are obliged
to treat as friends, under an injunction of the Great Spirit."
Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and
Conditions of North American Indians by
George Catlin (First published in London
in 1844) LETTER—No. 5.
There are many books worldwide where pipestone is mentioned, these are just a few of them.
If you ask any traditional Native American what their Pipe means to them they will answer that it is the way they send their prayers to the Creator, it is probably their most important possession, although they only care-take the pipe, they don't actually own it. It is too sacred for ownership.
Consequently the land where the stone for that sacred item comes from is almost as sacred. People speak in a whisper and walk softly around the quarry areas. They ask questions of the quarriers and are interested in the answers. The art of quarrying is done by less people than ever before. The work is time consuming and back breaking, it also is something that only Native Americans are allowed to do, because this area is sacred land. It is the land where the Thunderbird lays her eggs, and where petroglyphs were cut into rocks by ancestors many centuries ago. This is the area where hundreds of years ago tribal groups would wait for a thunderstorm before the chosen people would go and quarry for this oh so special stone. If the thunderstorm didn't come, the quarrying would not take place.
There was no record of non-natives visiting this land until George Catlin arrived in 1836, and even then the Dakota people who were in the area held him captive for a day trying to stop him (see passage above). They felt that when non-native people found out about this special land their stone and their pipe would not be safe. Even so Catlin moved on, he watched the people quarrying, he drew pictures, he took samples of the stone back to Boston to be analyzed, and he wrote a book about his travels. The stone became known as Catlinite and the make-up of it is unique to these sacred quarries. Even though there are similar stones in other states, even other locations close to Pipestone, the analysis that Catlin had done shows that no other stone, anywhere, is like the sacred Catlinite.
Pipestone, the quarries, the sacred stone Catlinite and the sacrosanct red pipe, all go together as a package. One without the other couldn't work. They shouldn't have to, they should all be treated in a sacred way, just as Vatican City is sacred because the Pope resides there.
Now however local developers wish to put a Native American Theme Park in Pipestone. This would really affect the sanctity of the area.
Please read on for more details.....
UPDATES
31st July, 2003 - A letter was published in this weeks Pipestone Star newspaper from one of the people the petition is going to be sent to. Please read the letter at the link given below, so that you can see how far this scheme has gone. There seems to be a lot of plans, according to this man, that haven't yet been publicised to the Pipestone public by the EDA. Some of these plans are news to us, and we felt that you should be able to read them and pass your own judgement on them.
In his letter he calls us an anonymous site, but when we give an email address, our organizations name as well as our names and those of others, who have sent in comments via emails how can we be anonymous. We are very easy to write to even though we may not be on their doorstep. The Internet is worldwide, and as we have found out by the petition people in many countries are upset about these plans as well as those living in the area.
Pipestone is a very special place, the whole of Pipestone, and the powerful sacred energies abound no matter where you are in the town. Many people agree with us that, a: none of Pipestone should be tarnished by these plans, .and, b: the Native American cultures. history and spirituality should not be used for non-natives to make money from.
In the letter you will also see that this
man wants part of this plan done quickly so that Pipestone can get in
before the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe do. That shows us that they
only want to make money and are quite happy to again cut out Native
Americans.
"The time to create such a retail-shopping complex
is now, since other entities, such as the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
are actively considering creating such a complex. Obviously, the creation
of such a competing facility in such close proximity to Pipestone would
make difficult the creation of such an enterprise here"
August
2nd 2003: The petition reached 1,000 signatures today - Thank you
McDonalds
August 2nd, '03: We have found out that the McDonalds already in Pipestone is a Franchise and is owned and run by the manager. He does employ Native American people in the restaurant. He knew nothing about this proposed new themed McDonalds, and so if it is built it will also take his business away from him and his staff. Pipestone is not big enough to have yet another fast food place, even in the height of the season the visitation doesn't warrant it. In the winter that is even more the case. This is very unfair of McDonalds, wouldn't you think that they would take into consideration the franchise people that they have received money from already, before talking of putting yet another restaurant in a such a small area.......
