Exploitation of the Pipe
at it's worse.............
This photograph comes from the Pipestone County Star Newspaper. Copyright is the sole property of Pipestone Publishing Co. and its subsidiaries.
This sculpture has been erected by an organization located in Pipestone, Minnesota. This group have been around since 1996 and have their business
in the old Depot in town. This sculpture has been put in front of their building in full view of
people going to Sundance or to visit the National Monument.
The local Dakota Community are against this pipe being erected but they were not asked for any input before permission was given for it to be hung, even though it is a Native American spiritual issue.
This disrespectful act has nothing at all to do with the Pipestone Dakota Community, or the Little Feather Center also located in Pipestone.
You may ask why we are putting this information out. We wish it to be known that we have nothing to do with this before people start arriving for the Sundance and begin to complain to us about it. We have over the years had to endure our brothers and sisters accusing us of making money from the Pipe, and of desecrating the ancient quarries. It has been an ongoing educational battle to show that we have not done either of those things. We have taken care of the quarries for many generations, and we respect the pipe. We know though that when something happens in Pipestone, the Pipestone issue always gets re-energized, and the same things get said all over again. This time we wish it to be known that we have nothing to do with this, and the pipestone quarries are still as beautiful as ever they were.
If you wish to join the Pipestone Dakota Community in our condemnation of this sculpture please write to the Pipestone County Star newspaper at pipepub@pipestonestar.com
Please do not complain directly to us, complain to the people responsible for erecting this pipe, or to the local newspaper. Thank you.
January 8th, 2000
