While travelling through North and South Dakota, I occasionally jumped across the state line into Minnesota to see interesting things.  If you remember, I didn’t really do Minnesota justice last time I came though, so I used this as an opportunity to visit a few more places, one of which was Pipestone National Monument.

Located in the middle of farms and grasslands, this is an ancient but still active quarry where Native Americans dig for pipestone.  There seem to be records of the Sioux having control of the quarries at about 1700, but artefacts and evidence of older trails suggest that they were sacred to many tribes for centuries before that.  The quarries were considered sacred by many tribes in the US, as shown on the map below, and the area was neutral territory in any conflicts.  I did notice when I was there that the Lakota Sioux seemed to be featured more prominently in displays and explanatory material — you may remember some famous Lakota such as Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (Sitting Bull) from the Húnkpapȟa band; Touch the Clouds from the Miniconjou band; and, Tȟašúŋke Witkó (Crazy Horse), Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud), Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk), Siŋté Glešká (Spotted Tail), and Billy Mills from the Oglala band.  [Wikipedia]

The pipe was a sacred object to the Indians, frequently used in religious and ceremonial practices.

Pipestone itself is a rock called catlinite, is dark reddish, and appears to be very similar to soapstone.  One of the artisans told me that it was soft to work like soapstone too.  I heard a couple of different origin stories while I was there — the one below of two rival tribes fighting, and another flood story where all the people but one woman were drowned — but in both cases the color of the pipestone is attributed to the blood of the slain running downhill and gathering in one place.  With that belief in its origin, it’s easy to see why the pipestone would be considered sacred to the people.

I gather that the style of pipe, material smoked, and ceremonies it was used for, were often specific to the tribe or region.

Pipes were made of a stone bowl attached to a stem made of wood or other material.  Other objects were also made of pipestone, including artistic pieces.

There were other artefacts from the local tribes there as well, and I found these eagle feather headdresses particularly stunning.

Originating at the visitor center, there are a couple of trails that explore the actual quarry site.  At least one pit was being actively dug while I was there, so I didn’t take any pictures of them working.

There’s a layer of dirt on the surface that must be removed when opening a new area or expanding an existing dig, and then about 4 to 6 feet of hard quartzite to hack through until the layer of pipestone is reached.  Only Native Americans are permitted to dig the pipestone here, and all work is done by hand with simple tools such as hammers and chisels.

Several of the pits were full of water, which may be why there were not more people quarrying for pipestone while I was there.  Perhaps later in the summer the sites will be more accessible.

Back in the visitor center, I enjoyed exploring the small museum of pipestone artefacts.

This Lakota war club seemed quite old, and made me realize how vicious war with primitive weapons must have been.  This was one of the few weapons on display at this peaceful spot, however.

There were also some petroglyphs on display, of which the little fellow below was my favorite.  They were not particularly extensive, but were believed to be made between 300 BC and 1700 AD, quite a broad period of time.

Perhaps one of the more underrated aspects of the prairie to modern eyes, and one that I’ve really learned to appreciate in my travels, is the extensive grasslands themselves.  The visitor center had a very nice display of the types of grasses growing here, and the uses to which they were put by the prairie tribes.  It’s really amazing how much was made possible by the use of grass, a material that we largely take for granted in modern urban or suburban life.

As I left Pipestone National Monument, I stopped to look out over the prairie, and watch the breeze create waves in the ocean of grass.  I like to imagine that, not so long ago, a group of Sioux Indians was siting on their horses on the horizon, watching an endless herd of bison passing below.  What an incredible sight it must have been.