The story of Pipestone National Monument is the story of the stone and the pipes made from it spans four centuries of Plains Indian life. Inseparable from the traditions that structured daily routine and honored the spirit world, pipes figured prominently in the ways of the village and in dealings between tribes. The story parallels that of a culture in transition: the evolution of the pipes influenced and was influenced by their makers’ association with white explorers, traders, soldiers and settlers. Plains Indian culture has undergone radical change since the era of the free-ranging buffalo herds, yet pipecarving is by no means a lost art. Carvings today are appreciated as artworks as well as for ceremonial use. Once again, as commanded by the spirit bird in the Sioux story of its creation, the pipestone here is quarried by anyone of Indian ancestry. An age-old tradition continues in the modern world, ever changing yet firmly rooted in the past.
History & Culture
Across the Great Plains, the stories of the pipestone differ from Sioux to Crow, from Blackfoot to Pawnee. Variation is one indication of the geographical extent to which the red stone and pipes were used and traded. The reverence with which the stories are passed down through generations is testimony to their importance. Stone pipes were long known among the prehistoric peoples of North America; specimens from 2,000 years ago have been found at Mound City in present-day Ohio. Digging at this Minnesota quarry likely began in the 17th century, a time which coincided with the acquisition of metal tools from European traders. Carvers prized this durable yet relatively soft stone, which ranged from mottled pink to brick red. By all accounts this location came to be the preferred source of pipestone among the Plains tribes. By about 1700, though, the Dakota Sioux controlled the quarries and distributed the stone only through trade.
Ceremonial smoking marked the activities of the Plains people: rallying forces for warfare, trading goods and hostages, ritual dancing and medicine ceremonies. Bowls, stems and tobacco were stored in animal-skin pouches or in bundles with other sacred objects. Ashes were disposed of only in special places. Ornamental pipes were often valued possessions buried with the dead. There were as many variations in pipe design as there were makers. By the time George Catlin arrived here in 1836, the simple tubes of earlier times had developed into elbow and disk forms, as well as elaborate animal and human effigies. The Pawnee and Sioux were master effigy carvers. A popular pipe form was the T-shaped calumet. Calumets became widely known as peace pipes because they were the pipes whites usually encountered at treaty ceremonies.
As America grew westward in the 19th century, pipes found their way into white society through trade. Increasing contact between whites and Indians inspired new subject matter for carvers. Sometimes these effigies honored white politicians and explorers; sometimes the images were caricatures far from flattering. Pipes became a source of income for their makers, thus significant beyond religious use. To protect their source, the Yankton Sioux secured free and unrestricted access by an 1858 treaty. Even as the quarry became increasingly lucrative, American settlement threatened to consume the square-mile Indian claim. Outsiders were digging new pits and extracting the sacred stone. In 1928 the Yanktons, now resettled on a reservation 150 miles away, sold their claim to the federal government. Pipestone National Monument was signed into existence in 1937 and opened to the public with quarrying limited to Indians.
Plains Indian culture has undergone radical change since the era of the free-ranging buffalo herds, yet pipecarving is by no means a lost art. Carvings today are appreciated as artworks as well as for ceremonial use. Once again, as commanded by the spirit bird in the Sioux story of its creation, the pipestone here is quarried by anyone of Indian ancestry. An age-old tradition continues in the modern world, ever changing yet firmly rooted in the past.
Nature & Science
Geology
The solid bedrock of the Pipestone National Monument is the Sioux Quartzite, a thick stack of ancient layered rocks exposed today in parts of Southwest Minnesota, southeastern South Dakota and northwest Iowa. The Sioux Quartzite consists of three rock types that were originally layers of mud (pipestone), sand (quartzite) and gravel (conglomerate) which, according to scientists, were deposited at some time between 1,750 and 1,630 million years ago. The unique variety of pipestone at Pipestone National Monument is called catlinite. It consists largely of microscopic crystals. Traces of the iron bearing mineral hematite give the catlinite its red color. Most other red pipestones found in the world contain the mineral quartz; catlinite has little or none. Catlinite formed when mud layers were buried within the earth, under temperature and pressure conditions very different from those at the surface. The original minerals were unstable in this new environment and their chemical components recombined to form new minerals. The catlininte beds are sandwiched between thicker beds of quartzite. Most of the sand grains of which the quartzite is made are rounded crystals of quartz “glued” together by other quartz crystals that grew between the sand grains after the layers were buried. after millions of years of heat and pressure pressing the grains together, the rock is presently a mineral harder than ordinary steel.
Although Sioux Quartzite is extremely hard, the underlying layers of catlinite are very soft. Since the catlinite contains no quartz, subjection to the same natural heat and pressure metamorphosed it into a very dense material which is roughly the same hardess as a human fingernail. It can therefore be easily carved using only the simplest of tools. At least five different catlinite layers are now exposed in the quarries at the Monument. These extend in a roughly north-south line which is two-thirds of a mile long, following a zone with the Sioux Quartzite containing many pipestone beds.
Ecology
Over a century ago, bison, antelope and elk roamed through this area. Today, Pipestone National Monument is primarily home to smaller animals. Some of the Monument’s current native residents are thirteen-lined ground squirrels, bobolinks, painted turtles and Topeka shiners. Other animals at Pipestone National Monument, such as raccoons, opossums, beavers and turkeys, extended their historical ranges to include this area due to changes in land use. There are also several species in the park that are considered exotic or introduced to this region. These species include pheasants, gray partridges and walleye. The animal populations at Pipestone National Monument include both vertebrate and invertebrate species. There are over twenty-five mammalian species, over one hundred bird species, approximately twenty-five fish species, eight reptiles and amphibians and numerous insect families.
Pipestone National Monument has several different environments that support over five hundred native plant species. Virgin tallgrass prairie, restored tallgrass prairie, wetlands and oak savanna are all located within the boundary. The Monument is home to one threatened species, the western prairie fringed orchid and approximately sixteen other rare species of plants.
The majority of the Monument’s plantlife was originally herbaceous, with only a few native shrubs and trees growing along its watercourses. In the ensuing years trees have been able to thrive where they have been planted on farmsteads and in the cities and towns. Seeds from these trees and introduced woody shrubs have drifted into the boundaries and germinated within the park over the past 130 + years. Another important factor attributed to the early scarcity of trees was the periodic occurance of wildfire. These fires would generally destroy many seedling trees and shrubs, but not the underground vital parts of the grasses and prairie plants.
The tallgrass prairie is a vanishing ecosystem and the staff of the National Park Service at the Pipestone National Monument is making every effort to preserve this valuable resource through the use of controlled burns and reintroduction of native plant species.
Recreation
A visit to Pipestone National Monument should include a visit to the Upper Midwest Indian Cultural Center to watch the cultural demonstrations. The center is open from April through October. You can also hike the 3/4 mile Circle Trail through native prairie to the pipestone quarries and Winnewissa Falls. In summer, you can join rangers along the trail to learn about the cultural traditions surrounding pipestone use, prairie plants and their medicinal use by Native Americans, or early European-American exploration.
Getting There
By Plane
Commercial service is located in Sioux Falls, SD, approximately 50 miles from the monument. Car rental is available at the airport. A small airport is operated in Pipestone, MN, however, no commercial service is available.
By Car
The monument is easily accessible from the south by interstate highway Interstate 90 to Minnesota 23 or US 75, from the west by Interstate 29 to South Dakota 34 and Minnesota 30 to US 75, from the north by US 75 and from the east by Minnesota 30 or 23 to US 75. From US 75, road signs will lead you to the monument.
Getting Around
For your safety and for the protection of sacred sites, stay on paved trails. Travel is prohibited in quarries, on rock rubble piles and on quartzite outcroppings.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Pipestone National Monument
36 Reservation Ave
Pipestone, MN 56164-1269
Phone: 507-825-5464
Fax: 507-825-5466
Operating Hours & Seasons
Pipestone National Monument is open daily. The Visitor Center and Upper Midwest Indian Cultural Center is open daily May 29th through Labor Day, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.. Rest of the year, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
All facilities are closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
Weather / Climate
Summers at Pipestone National Monument are warm and pleasant, with high temperatures generally in the 80’s F and lows in the 60’s F. Occasionally, highs will reach 100 F with high humidity. Winter is generally cold, with temperatures ranging from near freezing to below 0 F. Snow generally accumulates.
