Why is the Pipestone so expensive to buy, shouldn it be free?
The Pipestone itself, from the ‘Red Stone Quarries’ is free. The only cost is for the time and labor of the Native American who sacrificed him/herself and worked the quarry in a traditional manner, so that Pipestone would be available for anyone who needs it, especially elders and Medicine people. It can take weeks to get some out, all that time the quarrier has to live, we wouldn’t expect any other trades-person to work for free so why should the quarriers have to. If a Native American wishes to quarry for the stone themselves they can get a free permit at the National Monument in town, as long as they have tribal identification. The permit will give them access to the same quarry for a year. It is advisable to have a minimum of 2 weeks available to enable them to get to the vein. The correct hand tools are also needed.
