Sustaining the Sacred

For countless generations, American Indians used the resources of the pipestone prairie to sustain themselves during their stay at the quarries. The bison and elk that once roamed the area provided meat, clothing and tools, and prairie plants were important as food and 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.

Minnesota · United States