A cross-cultural study of the life history of stone pipes in the plains

Abstract

This study documents the life history of Native American stone pipes in the Plains from the eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Source material derives from twenty-first century interviews, ethnographic, and ethnohistoric documents. Interviews with Native American pipestone carvers at Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota were conducted in 2013. Additional documentation is from ethnohistoric and ethnographic observations from Plains Tribes over three centuries. Important issues highlighted in this research include the identity of the carvers, variation in stone used for pipes, variation in the types of carving tools, and the importance of recycling red pipestone.