Concerns are rising over a proposed reroute of a petroleum pipeline near Pipestone National Monument in southwestern Minnesota; here’s what we know.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is reviewing the Pipestone Pipeline Reroute Project (Docket IP-7109/PPL-23-109). The applicant is Magellan Pipeline Company, L.P., now part of ONEOK. The proposal would reroute approximately 0.74 miles of an existing eight-inch petroleum products pipeline away from federal lands associated with Pipestone National Monument and the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.
Pipestone is more than a natural resource. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have quarried the red stone, known as catlinite, to make ceremonial pipes. The site remains culturally and spiritually significant to Native communities today. The National Park Service recognizes 23 affiliated Tribal Nations with connections to Pipestone.
The Indigenous Protector Movement will host Our Relationship to Pipestone: Culture, Ceremony, and Protection on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 5:30-7 pm at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.
Panelists include Gabrielle Strong, Iktomi Wašte Winyan, Nick Tilsen and Fred Desjarlait, who will discuss the cultural significance of Pipestone, the proposed pipeline and efforts to protect the sacred site. Powwow Grounds is catering this event.
The PUC’s initial public comment period closes Aug. 21 at 4:30 pm. The deadline was extended at the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council’s request. Reply comments are due Sept. 4, with supplemental comments due Sept. 11.
Community members can submit comments through the Minnesota PUC’s public-comment system https://mn.gov/puc/consumers/public-comments, by email at consumer.puc@state.mn.us, or by mail to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The Indigenous Protector Movement encourages relatives and allies to learn more, attend the gathering on Aug. 20th, and make their voices heard. Pipestone is sacred, and protecting it is a responsibility to future generations.
Source: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, National Park Service, Indigenous Protector Movement, https://riseandrepair.org/pipestone
