Pipestone National Monument is located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone, Minnesota.
The catlinite, or “pipestone”, has been traditionally used to make ceremonial pipes, vitally important to traditional Plains Indian religious practices. The pipestone quarries were neutral territory and all tribes had the right to mine the catlinite. The national monument was established in 1937 and Native Americans were deeded the right to quarry the pipestone.
