| dc.description.abstract | The stone cairns of Red Wing, Minnesota, USA, have been cloaked in mystery for centuries. Small in number, densely concentrated and originally built upon high, untimbered hilltops, the identity of the builders remains unknown to both researchers and Native people alike. Local Dakota people do not claim authorship but refer to these monuments as “hekti”, a “lodge of time and space”, and recognize them as places “where holy works were done.” Unfortunately all of the stone cairns have been dismantled since Euro-Americans first encountered them and the significance of their hollow architecture was never culturally examined. These unique stone features are presumed to be mortuary features and are therefore protected by Minnesota Statute 307.08 from any further molestation. After collecting and generating both quantitative and qualitative information, and by utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it is contended the stone cairns of Red Wing were constructed by the Spring Creek Oneota between AD 1300 – 1400. Furthermore, the stone cairns are principal components of a larger ritual landscape and quite possibly demarcate a physical and spiritual sanctuary during a period of significant environmental and/or social change across the continent. Based upon current evidence, the construction of the stone cairns was most likely overseen by an elite class of ritual leaders blessed by Thunder. Moreover, both Thunderbird and Water Spirit clans exert increased socio-political influence in Siouan village life during the late pre-contact period. Archaeological evidence in close proximity to the stone cairns confirms their presence. From an ethnographic perspective, the stone cairns of Red Wing function as sacred altars/conduits between the Above and Below worlds. This assertion is based upon Siouan interpretations of their placement, architecture, and significance of materials used in their construction. These interpretations, in combination with the juxtaposition of their original architectural profile with contemporary Ioway cosmological belief, illumine the original purpose and function(s) of the stone cairns. These results suggest the stone cairns of Red Wing stand as witness to the cultural crescendo of the Oneota tradition in this locality and/or they are an initial expression of Ioway ethnicity and tribalism in southeastern Minnesota. | |
