The Dakota Sioux controlled this quarry from 1700 to the mid 1850’s before American settlement started poaching the valuable mineral. This red/brown stone was soft enough to carve and durable enough to last centuries. Ceremonial pipes carved from the rock for thousands of years. This stone made its way all over the Americas before the Europeans arrived. The one square mile site is a sacred place for the Plains Indians even today. The United States government protected this valuable commodity and gave exclusive quarrying rights to the Sioux. The rest of us can still respectively enjoy the stunning red quartzite cliffs, the flowering prairie, and the waterfall fed forest.
An American Indian Monument
A quarry no longer used
This is either the pipestone or quartzite
regardless of type its stunning
The Town of Pipestone used Quartzite
The quartzite is abundant
The pipestone is much deeper underground
The trails through this monument surprise
sacred land for the Sioux and Crow
Minnesota – hard to believe
3/4 mile trail it’s worth an hour of your time
Active Quarry for American Indians
U.S. History omits the horror of assimilation
The trail surrounds a prairie
a river runs through the land
wild bergamont
lizard’s tail
Sacred ceremonies still continue
A peaceful place to commune with nature
Connections
Freshly "Pic'ed" 