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search National Park Collection at L.L.Bine.com and be an outsider with L.L. Bean. well bean. The peace pipe, as it's often called by those who only know it as a symbol of the

hundreds of peace treaties signed between the federal government and Native American tribes,

is a valued tradition that dates back thousands of years and today

on a one square mile plot of land that tradition continues in the modern world ever

changing yet firmly rooted in the modern world, ever-changing yet firmly rooted in the past.

I'm Jason Epperson and today on America's National Parks, Minnesota's Pipestone National Monument.

As the primary source of communication between the spirit power and human beings,

the pipes many roles in the lives of many tribal nations

is far more significant than simply marking the signing of a treaty.

Sitting Bull had become responsible for an extended family that had grown rather large,

and as a result his mother requested that he restrain himself in battle and not be as

aggressive so as to prevent major injury or death. He did as she asked but his hard-earned

reputation as a fierce warrior suffered when the other men noticed his hesitation on the battlefield.

Then in 1872, the Lakota warriors attempted to block construction of a railroad near the

Yellowstone River. The US Army was there to provide protection for the railroad and

a battle ensued. As the battle turned into a standoff,

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