The Sacred Red Rock - Mystery, Scandal, and Lies
First, some backstory.
There is a sacred rock that many tribes of the indigenous people use for spiritual connection and healing. The Dakota tribe, here in Minnesota, have one such rock they termed the Sacred Red Rock.
Here’s the mystery I am trying to uncover:
The timeline.
1858:
May 11 - Eden Prairie became a township, Minnesota became a state.
May 27 - the famous battle between the Dakota and Ojibwe occurred and both tribes lost many people and were weakened.
June - The Dakota were forced to go to Washington DC to sign a treaty and ‘sell’ their land.
1862:
US-Dakota War - The Dakota lose possession of the rock
Jump forward:
2012: Ron and Kathie Case (Ron is the mayor of Eden Prairie and Kathie is the President of the Eden Prairie Historical Society) took possession of a red boulder that the neighbor Mike McGraw left behind when he moved. Mr. McGraw told the Cases that he thought it might be the lost Red Rock from the Dakota tribe.
2012: Ron Case discusses with City Manager, Rick Getschow, the Red Rock and decided to keep it at his house.
2022:
July - Sheldon Wolfchild inquires about the Red Rock at the Eden Prairie Historical Society.
September - the Red Rock is returned to Wolfchild.
When deciding the rock’s future, Case explained that the Historical Society Board’s advisory team followed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA). This federal law mandates the return of human remains and sacred objects to Indigenous communities.
The quote above is from the article written by the local news channel, EPLN.
No one seems to ask the question:
Why did it take the Cases 10 years to ‘decide’ what they were going to do with the rock? Per the NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), laws have been violated:
(d) Inadvertent discovery of Native American remains and objects (1) Any person who knows, or has reason to know, that such person has discovered Native American cultural items on Federal or tribal lands after November 16, 1990, shall notify, in writing, the Secretary of the Department, or head of any other agency or instrumentality of the United States, having primary management authority with respect to Federal lands and the appropriate Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with respect to tribal lands, if known or readily ascertainable, and, in the case of lands that have been selected by an Alaska Native Corporation or group organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], the appropriate corporation or group. If the discovery occurred in connection with an activity, including (but not limited to) construction, mining, logging, and agriculture, the person shall cease the activity in the area of the discovery, make a reasonable effort to protect the items discovered before resuming such activity, and provide notice under this 11/4/2016 4/10 subsection. Following the notification under this subsection, and upon certification by the Secretary of the department or the head of any agency or instrumentality of the United States or the appropriate Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that notification has been received, the activity may resume after 30 days of such certification
No one notified the Secretary of the Department or any other agency regarding the rock. Ron admits he asked the City Manager what he should do.
“I remember Ron discussing with (City Manager Rick Getschow) at the time, ‘What should we do? Should we move it?’ Everyone felt like just keep it where it is (at their house),” Case said. “We know it’s safe there. We’ll figure it out. At some point, something will happen, and it did.” (2012)
He deliberated even returning it. This is a clear violation of the federal law on repatriation. Yet, nothing has happened, that I’m aware of. Instead, the article written about this is almost applauding him. Interesting. A person deliberates for 10 years about a rock he suspects could be sacred to a local tribe and no consequences. AND he’s the mayor. More interesting.
RULES FOR THEE, NOT FOR ME.