2015 Guest Speaker #1

Date: January 13, 2015

Pipestone National Monument Guest Speaker Series

Pipestone National Monument announces the first presentation in 2015's Guest Speaker Series at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center, Pipestone, Minnesota, on Saturday, January 31st, 2015 from 2:00 pm to 4:00pm. Guest speaker, Tom Sanders, will present a lecture and slideshow entitled "The Rich Cultural Landscape of Southwest Minnesota's Red Rock Ridge". If you enjoyed any of the previous 2014 events, please join us again in 2015.

Mr. Tom Sanders, archaeologist and Manager of the Jeffers Petroglyphs site in southwestern Minnesota, will present a lecture on the documentation of the Red Rock Ridge cultural landscape. As a sacred landscape, the Jeffers Petroglyphs site contains some ofthe most remarkable prehistoric and historic sites found anywhere in theregion. Sites to be discussed are 3,000 newly uncovered Jeffers petroglyphs (ancient rock art); a recently discovered women's site; a newly documented quarry site; and 12 recently identified sites with over 100 petroglyphs. In addition, the workings of an ancient astronomical observatory involving alignments of rocks with summer and winter solstice, spring and fall equinox, and lunar and stellar events will be described.

Tom has been employed as the Site Manager for the Jeffers Petroglyphs site, under the Minnesota Historical Society, from 1998 to the present. Following a 2004 nomination by members of the Dakota community, the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded the Jeffers Petroglyphs site a Trustee Emeritus Award for Excellence in the Stewardship of Historic Sites.

Tom's goals and focus are to advance the sacred site andprairie preservation in the region. He believes their preservation can most effectively be accomplished through education. In his words "For education tobe effective and meaningful it must be multifaceted, inclusive, courageous and honest. Museum education should be eager to expand our visitor's world-view. At Jeffers Petroglyphs we concentrate our educational programs on American Indian culture and the diversity and richness of prairie ecology."

For additional information contact Pipestone National Monument at 507-825-5464 ext.216, or view the Monument's web site at www.nps.gov/pipe

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