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Contact: Lauren Blacik, 507-825-5464
The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce that a renewed agreement between Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, Minnesota, and South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, South Dakota, is in place for five more years. The Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions was signed on March 30, 2020. The agreement supports cooperation in educational programs, research opportunities, and career development.
“We are honored to be able to continue our relationship with SDSU and see strong alignment between the university’s Wokini Initiative and the management goals of Pipestone National Monument,” said Monument Superintendent Lauren Blacik. “The involvement of culturally fluent students, faculty, and staff contributes to resource stewardship and educational programming based in rich, nuanced views of the present and past. Through our partnership, we are also working to develop the next generation of National Park Service employees and leaders.”
The South Dakota State University’s American Indian Studies program within the School of American and Global Studies and the Wokini Initiative are two key programs that will benefit from a closer relationship with the National Park Service and Pipestone National Monument. Provost Hedge asserts, “The ongoing partnership between South Dakota State University and Pipestone National Monument provides an important framework for academic programming and collaborative research. We are pleased to extend this collaborative agreement and look forward to the opportunities that will emerge for SDSU students and faculty.”
Pipestone National Monument protects a nationally significant quarry and American Indian pilgrimage site where the soft red stone, iŋyaŋ ṡa in the Dakota and Lakota language, is used to make sacred pipes,canuŋpa wakaŋ, for prayer. Working with 23 American Indian Tribes and the local community of traditionally associated Dakota carvers and quarriers, the NPS presents information about Pipestone Quarry’s significance. The entire 301-acre park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its archeological, historic architectural and cultural landscape significance. For additional information, call 507-825-5464 or visit the Monument’s web site at https://www.nps.gov/pipe/index.htm.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. #owóškateiyéyA #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque
Last updated: July 7, 2020