Minnesota Native American Rock Art *Rock art, a generic term used by researchers that is applied to rock engravings, rock paintings, and drawings. It is broadly described in two categories:

Pictographs: Rock paintings and drawings, an additive process. Drawings were chalked onto rock wile paintings were made by applying wet pigments. They survive today in caves, rock shelters, or exposed rock surfaces where the images are partly protected from weathering.

Petroglyphs: Rock engravings. These were created on rock surfaces by a subtractive process; the rock may be carved, pecked, hammered, or grinded.

The Jeffers Petroglyphs : Southwestern Minnesota The Jeffers Petroglyphs are approximately 2000 Native American images carved in quartzite outcrops. Archaeologists date the carvings from as far back as 5000 years old. Ancestors who are known to have lived in this area: The Otoe, Iowa, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Dakota.

Sought help in healing sickness Acquiring food Maintaining social relationships Record stories, & historic events Today American Indians visit and worship at this sacred site. The Jeffers Petroglyphs tells a story of the survival of people

Some common images or symbols used: Thunder being, Horned Figures, Turtle, Handprint, Weapons, Animals like Bison, Circles, Trail Maps, Snakes, Lighting, Geometric Patterns. Thunder being Horned Figures Turtle

Pipestone Petroglyphs Pipestone National Monument, bordering the town Pipestone in southwestern Minnesota, preserves and interprets the historic quarries which, for hundreds of years, served as the source of a soft red claystone that Native Americans carved into pipes and other sculptures.

“The Three Maidens” Petroglyphs carved into the “Three Maidens” which was a grouping of boulders that were frequently visited by Native Americans for spiritual purposes.

The desire to preserve and protect the Indian heritage of Pipestone led to the removal of the majority of the quartzite slabs containing the petroglyphs in **Unthinkable today, this behavior was encourages in the 19 th century and it probably preserved them, as vandalism or theft, and resale of ancient relics was not illegal then. The stated total number of petroglyph slabs diminished through time is stated as 36. They travel to several places since then in “traveling exhibitions” but have since been permanently established in Pipestone. 19 slabs are now in the museum collection of Pipestone National Monument.

What are some of the negative consequences due to the Removal of the Pipestone Petroglyphs?

They have lost some meaning because we no longer have direct evidence of how the images related to one another based on where they were originally located in comparison or relation to each other. A sacred Native American area, which was used for spiritual purposes, has now been destroyed. Many slabs that were removed are now lost.