I was on my way to school when I saw a group of runners with Eagle staffs. They had lead cars posted with runners ahead. Many people were stopping to watch them. I wanted to stop and ask what the event was honoring but would have been late for my test. I saw one of our classmates on Kelo and she looked amazing.
The Pipestone National Monument lost a pipe maker this year. Todd Tellinghuison was Lakota Sioux and his sister Lynette is also a pipe maker. Pipestone has a Song of Hiawatha pagent every year. This will be the last year of the event unless a new group will take it over. It has been very popular. I first saw the pagent years ago and it was more historical then. Last year I saw it with a member of the Lower Sioux and he commented that many Native's would not attend the event. Al Eller did sit through the event but stated it was too christian based.
I hope that the Dakota Communities near the area can start a program more based on the history of the monument instead of Song of Hiawatha. Visitors from other countries had come thinking it was an educational program about Native Americans. They left stating it was more a play than educational.