Sisseton Wahpeton man dedicated to pipe carving traditions

Tuesday, June 25, 2013  

Travis Erickson, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota, learned how to carve pipes as a child and continues the tradition today.

Erickson, 50, secures his material from the Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota. He's a fourth-generation pipe maker.

“It’s more a spiritual journey for me," Erickson told the Associated Press.

Only members of federally recognized tribes can obtain pipestone from the park. The Associated Press said there are 76 active quarries, with a waiting list of about 150.

Get the Story:
Ceremonial Native American pipe, its creation focus of national monument in Minnesota (AP 6/24)

Runners trek 800 miles to Pipestone Monument in Minnesota (6/17)