"The World's Largest Peace Pipe is a statue of a ceremonial pipe in Pipestone, Minnesota, United States. It began with a vision shared by three spiritual people: one Lakota and two Anishinaabe. The pipe stands on the grounds of the historic Rock Island Railroad depot near the entrance to Pipestone National Monument, home to the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers.



"Bill envisioned the pipe to be about 30 feet (9 m) long. He made a scaled drawing and determined that it could be made out of steel well casing 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter and seven or eight inches (18 or 20 cm) where the bowl and stem fit together.

"The location of the giant peace pipe is significant; the pipestone quarry nearby is known as "the crossroads of the Indian world." The soft red catlinite from the quarry has been used by American Indians for thousands of years to create ceremonial peace pipes."  (Wikipedia)

"Pipestone, Minnesota takes its name from the abundance of local catlinite, which is traditionally used by various tribes of Plains Indians to craft ceremonial pipes. The catlinite quarry just north of Pipestone, now protected by the National Park Service as the Pipestone National Monument, has been called the “Crossroads of the Indian World” for its significance to so many tribes.

"The town preserves its heritage at the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers, a workshop founded by Native American artisans where traditional pipes are crafted. Finding the workshop is easy: Just keep an eye out for the gigantic red pipe on the front lawn, standing 30 feet tall, allegedly the largest in the world," the Atlas Obscura says.

"The giant pipe was independently conceived by two Lakota and one Anishinaabe local, who each had literal dreams of building a giant pipe to represent the connections of Plains Indians to the Pipestone quarry. They merged their aspirations into one and the pipe was installed in front of the Pipe Keepers’ building in 1999."

"The Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers is a Tribal non-profit organization in Pipestone, Minnesota, that was formed in 1996 by local Native Americans and tribal leaders to protect and educate the public about the nearby pipestone quarries.

"Keepers bring both national and international recognition to Pipestone by traveling all over the world to present and educate people about American Indian history and culture. Keepers President Bud Johnston has taken American Indian dance groups to Europe several times to allow tribal youth to showcase their talent and community to the world," the official website says.

"The organization works with local Native American organizations to provide goods and resources to local Indian reservations, as well as with schools and prisons to help people understand tribal culture."

"More importantly, pipestone, also known as argillite and catlinite, has an extraordinarily rich history and great cultural significance. Sacred to many Native Americans, it is a symbol of tribal traditions and religions. And pipestone, also celebrated in Anglo-American art and literature, is the raison d’être of the National Park Service’s Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, Minnesota." the Rock & Gem Magazine says.   

"Pipestone has always had spiritual significance. It entered into the creation stories of various tribes, most of which attributed its reddish color to the spilled blood of warriors or buffalo. As pipestone and pipestone pipes became sacred, many tribes believed that the smoke from these pipes carried one’s prayers to the Great Spirit. Archaeological recoveries and Native American oral tradition both indicate that many tribes used the Minnesota quarries, even enemies who laid aside their weapons to quarry pipestone together in peace.

"In 1996, a local group of Native Americans founded the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers, a nonprofit organization not connected with the national monument. Its goal is educating the public about the past and present of the pipestone quarries and the pipe-making tradition. The Keepers collect and archive tales and lore related to pipestone and pipe making, present lectures and storytelling classes, and conduct hands-on pipe-making workshops and other activities. Its members have even traveled abroad to promote a better understanding of pipestone, pipe making, and other aspects of Native American culture."

"Stone pipes were long known among the prehistoric peoples of North America; specimens from 2,000 years ago have been found at Mound City in present-day Ohio. Digging at Pipestone’s quarry likely began in the 17th century, a time which coincided with the acquisition of metal tools from European traders,"  the NPS History says.

"Carvers prized this durable yet relatively soft stone, which ranged in color from mottled pink to brick red. By all accounts this location came to be the preferred source of Pipestone among the Plains tribes. By about 1700, though, the Dakota Sioux controlled the quarries and distributed the stone only through trade.

"Plains Indian culture has undergone radical change since the era of the free-ranging buffalo herds, yet pipecarving is by no means a lost art. Carvings today are appreciated as artworks as well as for ceremonial use. Once again, as commanded by the spirit bird in the Sioux story of creation, the Pipestone here is quarried by anyone of Indian ancestry. An age-old tradition continues in the modern world, ever changing yet firmly rooted in the past."

"The World's Largest Peace Pipe is a statue of a ceremonial pipe in Pipestone, Minnesota, United States. It began with a vision shared by three spiritual people: one Lakota and two Anishinaabe," the  DBpedia.com says.

"The pipe stands on the grounds of the historic Rock Island Railroad depot near the entrance to Pipestone National Monument, home to the .

"The location of the giant peace pipe is significant; the pipestone quarry nearby is known as "the crossroads of the Indian world." The soft red catlinite from the quarry has been used by American Indians for thousands of years to create ceremonial peace pipes."

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