Pipestone in Pipestone County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Sustaining the Sacred
Photographed by Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 20, 2018
1. Sustaining the Sacred Marker
American Indians have utilized the resources of the pipestone prairie for countless generations to sustain themselves during their stay at the quarries. The bison and elk that once roamed the area provided meat, clothing and tools. The prairie plants were important as food, as well as for medicinal and religious purposes.
Much of the tall grass prairie in the United States has been lost to development, and only one percent of the original prairie remains today. Since 1937 Pipestone National Monument has protected a remnant of this threatened ecosystem, helping sustain a connection for American Indians with their sacred pipestone quarries.
I was brought up to regard food as something sacred.
Lame Deer, spiritual leader
Erected by Pipestone National Monument, National Park Service, & US Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 44° 0.815′ N, 96° 19.566′ W. Marker is in Pipestone, Minnesota, in Pipestone County. It is on Reservation Ave. Located near the Pipestone National Monument Visitor Center. Touch for map
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and on the Great Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pipestone Pilgrimage (here, next to this marker); Connection to the Earth Mother (a few steps from this marker); Quarry Layers (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Spotted Pipestone Quarry (about 500 feet away); Pipestone Creek (about 700 feet away); Prairie: Past and Present (approx. 0.2 miles away); The J.N. Nicollet Expedition Of 1838 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Nicollet's Inscription (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pipestone.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Pipestone National Monument Cultural Landscape. National Park service website entry (Submitted on June 22, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)
2. Pipestone National Monument. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of historical Places Nomination Form (Submitted on May 25, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 20, 2018
2. Sustaining the Sacred Marker
Photographed by Ruth VanSteenwyk, June 20, 2018
3. Pipestone National Monument Visitor Center
Photographed by Larry Gertner, 2012
4. Pipestone National Monument Visitor Center
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 255 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 21, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 4. submitted on May 25, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
