Pipes
Look at the pipes the demonstrators are making or the pipes in the gift shop. If you made a pipe what would it look like?
Draw a picture of your pipe in the box.
Tobacco was scarce before the arrival of white settlers so American Indians smoked Kinnikinnik in their pipes. Kinnikinnik is an Algonquin word meaning “mixed” and is a combination of common prairie plants. Some examples of plants used in kinnikinnik that can be found here at Pipestone National Monument are:
Check the plants that you see on your Circle Trail walk
Explorers & Traders
While on the Circle Trail, look at Leaping Rock and the carvings left by Nicollet.
There are other carvings left here by past visitors before this was made a National Monument. These names scar the rock and are graffiti. Do not carve on any rocks or trees, as it is illegal in a National Park. Help protect this area!
The Pipestone is called Catlinite after George Catlin who sent samples of the stone back to scientists back east.
American Indians were not the only peoples to visit this site. Fur traders like Philander Prescott were likely the first non-native visitors to the quarries, but it was George Catlin that let the world know about this sacred site. He visited here in 1836 and painted the people and the landscape of this area.
In 1838 the U.S. Government sent an expedition to explore and map this area. Led by Frenchman Joseph N. Nicollet, they visited the quarries and the surrounding area and noted the location on their maps. They left their mark on the quarries by carving their names in the Sioux Quartzite near Leaping Rock.
Draw a picture of two of your favorite places along the Circle Trail.
The Wild side of the Monument
Pipestone National Monument was established to protect the pipestone quarries, but that’s not all the park protects. Pipestone National Monument also has Tall Grass Prairie—“taller than a horse”. There are over 300 different species of plants here. The prairie is also home to the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, which is a federally listed threatened species, and the Topeka Shiner, an endangered fish. Fire was common on the prairie and was caused by lighting or even by American Indians to help replenish the prairie. Since natural prairie fires don’t happen here anymore, the park has annual prescribed fires that are controlled and monitored by wildland firefighters and studied for their effects on the prairie. But remember, do not start fires! Human-caused fires are dangerous to property and people. The firefighters pre-plan burns and only burn the prairie when the wind, humidity, and other conditions are just right.
While on the Circle Trail, look at the prairie, creek and all of the different living things in the park.
You may see colorful pieces of cloth hanging on trees or on the ground. These are tobacco ties left as prayers. Please do not touch them!
Draw and label 2 plants and 2 animals you see in the park. (They can be inside or outside.)