I could be living on top of prehistoric remains
What if you found out that history is constantly being uncovered and there are people who don't care or want it to stay hidden?
Did you know that during big excavations sometimes very interesting things are found? In Eden Prairie off Flying Cloud Drive, artifacts were found when they were excavating the road for redevelopment. These artifacts are at least 1300 years old according to the 106 Group who was called in to oversee and uncover the site.
In their words, “The broad and sweeping nature of what was found in the ground along Flying Cloud Drive has the ability to influence the narrative that has been sterilized by stereotype and misinformation.” Meaning, that literally no one is talking about how significant this property is to the Indigenous people who inhabited this land before the US government took it from them.
Is it possible that there are artifacts older than 1000 years old? Yes. Per reports done by the 106 Group filed with the State Archeology Office, there are.
Did you know that the Minnesota River Valley Bluffs are at least 10,000 years old? If that’s the case, then who was living here all that time? The Shakopee Dakota have stated they feel it’s possible that their people have been here for at least the last 1000 years. Some scientific research shows that the glaciers were gone about 12,000 years ago. So that would lead one to believe that in time - decades, centuries, millennia - people would find their way to the ‘new land.’ Why is it our history only goes back to the 1400’s?
I’m asking a lot of questions here and I don’t really have the answers. But that’s what life is about right? Finding the answers to the questions we seek. Who are we? Where did we come from? How did we get HERE?
It is believed that when the glaciers started to recede and revealed land, people migrated from what we know as Russia over the Bering Sea and Alaska to the North American Continent. One of the most interesting pieces of science is the discovery that mitochondria DNA of every person comes from one original person.
I had a lovely conversation with Adam Kaeding from the 106 Group about the CSAH 61 project. He said it was very exciting to work on and revealed a lot about the settlers of the time 1300 years ago. That bring us to the 700’s. This isn’t the earliest findings in the area. Some, not too far from this site, they’ve found artifacts much, much older. The earliest findings go back about 10,000 years and those sites remain under private data protection in order to preserve and protect the remains from looting, etc.
Eden Prairie is in a very unique spot in Minnesota. It’s proximity to the Mississippi River and bordering the Minnesota River give it a perfect place to settle. As I noted in an earlier article, the Dakota used and lived on this land because it was so fertile and produced amazing wildlife which fed their tribes. Today, only 1% of original Prairie is left in the state and Eden Prairie has had a lot of it up until the last few years where development has damaged it. The Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed states, “Riley Creek is unhealthy due to high levels of sediment in the water. There is active erosion occurring along the creek because of increased stormwater discharge. If nothing is done, the creek will continue to erode the streambanks and surrounding slopes, picking up more sediment.”
It’s interesting to me that the City wants to keep putting up homes along the bluff. I totally understand why - it’s a beautiful spot. I walk the path by Hennepin Village on a regular basis. Standing on the top of the bluff overlooking the prairie is breathtaking. I feel as though I could reach out and touch the roller coasters at Valley Fair. As the crow flies it seems so close. The rolling hills with the natural grasses and wildflowers take me back to a time when I can envision walking through the hills with a horse and carriage as a pioneering settler.
One thing Adam Kaeding said to me that really made me think - was that when they spoke to the leaders of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota, the one thing they wanted to make clear is that past did happen and it was awful, but they are still here and they are thriving. I used to live in Prior Lake so I’ve spent countless hours using their facilities - the Dakotah! hockey rinks, stopping at their gas station and even the health food store, Mazopiya. They ARE thriving and they are doing it in harmony with the land.
I wish the American people could take some lessons for how the Dakota have built their government and their community. With the 1000 appointed positions we have in Minnesota, we’ve created a 4th branch of unelected government. This is not proper representation of the people and people are pushing policy that were never elected but appointed. The RPBCW managers are appointed by County Commissioners. How do we have balanced power with checks and balances with this many appointed positions? They are pushing permits to build on a very unstable watershed, per their own report.
How does this tie in to archeology? We have to know where we’ve been so we don’t go down the same road over and over again. I’ve pointed out the injustices done to the Dakota tribe in other articles. How can we learn from this and stop the destruction of our beautiful land? I am not opposed to development. I believe it should be done responsibly, though. The best interest of the people of Eden Prairie is to have a balance. We have so much land here in Minnesota - let’s spread the people out a bit more. And, when we know there are possible archeological sites (even on private property), let’s take measures to test and preserve them before we just rip gaping holes in them to build $800,000 houses.
Let’s be clear, just because you own property doesn’t mean you have full control over it. The city, county or even state may put easements on your property. We are merely tenants of the land. If you have a warranty deed - then you are technically a tenant and not full owner of the property. Meaning, we are care takers of that said piece of land. You take a risk when you buy property, no? You take a risk that it could have huge value or none at all. It’s not a guarantee.
When you own land, you have a right to sell, yes. But, it is the City’s job to mediate what goes on the land. It is also the City’s job to make sure it’s the right project. And what if 10 or 20 years down the road that project proves to be a mistake because a house falls down a cliff due to unstable soil? It has happened right here in Eden Prairie. You can read about it here. Also, I can tell you the City did not want to help this family originally. They had to fight to get them to take responsibility for the landslide. Ultimately the City should too because they approved the permits to build there. But it was a struggle for that family and it shouldn’t have been.
The remaining question - How do we balance development and preservation? Let that sink in and I will come back to this in another post.