Letters Details About the Cover I loved the cover of the Summer issue, but thought we readers deserved more information than the caption provided. I found out that the portrait is of a Hidatsa man from the upper Missouri River named Pehiska Ruhpa, painted in 1834. His pipe bowl is from Minnesota, circled by German silver inlays. The five-foot-long wooden stem, decorated by brass tacks, beadwork, and hanks of dyed hair, is really unusual. I’ve only seen a picture of one other like it, carried by an Ottawa man pictured in about 1700. Robert R. Dykstra Worcester, Massachusetts
A Disappointing Omission I was disappointed David Malakoff’s article (“Holy Smoke,” Summer) did not mention the pipes from Pipestone, Minnesota. Across the Great Plains stories of the pipestone are passed down through generations by the Sioux, Crow, Blackfoot, and Pawnee. Twothousand-year-old stone pipes were long known among the Indians from as far away as Mound City, Ohio. The durable, but soft Catlinite ranges in color from mottled pink to brick red. It is found beneath layers of quartzite rock near Pipestone, Minnesota. The quarry is sacred ground
Editor’s Corner
and can only be quarried by American Indians enrolled in a tribe. The distinct Sioux calumet shape was used for a peace pipe. Betty Stover Huron, Tennessee
Happy Travels Thank you very much for the Summer travel story “On the Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage.” With the descriptions, map, and sequence of destinations, the article makes for a pleasant and accessible exploration of Florida’s past. Kudos to writer Susan Ladika. I am broadcasting out that wonderful article. Bonita Lee Plantation, Florida
Sending Letters to American Archaeology American Archaeology welcomes your letters. Write to us at 1717 Girard Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, or send us e-mail at tacmag@nm.net. We reserve the right to edit and publish letters in the magazine’s Letters department as space permits. Please include your name, address, and telephone number with all correspondence, including e-mail messages. american archaeology
I’ve been told that Miami is a young city that has little sense of its history; that it’s focused on development, not preservation. That may be, but I’ve noticed that, from time to time, when developers butt heads with preservationists there, the latter stand their ground. The two sides have been confronting each other in downtown Miami, where roughly 1,500 years ago a Tequesta village stood. (See “An Echo of the Miami Circle,” page 39.) The developer wants to erect a mixed-use complex that will help reinvigorate that section of downtown, while the preservationists want the construction project stopped, or significantly altered to minimize its impact on the remains of the ancient village. This confrontation has featured insults, animated public hearings, a rejection of the developer’s plan, an appeal of that rejection, and a lawsuit to reject an agreement that resolved the whole thing. In a word, it’s gotten heated. In 2001 I covered a similar confrontation that took place over the Miami Circle, an ancient ceremonial feature that is thought to be part of the Tequesta village. Many people were surprised that the preservationists won that one, and the circle remains intact. This time it appears that some of the village site will be preserved, but a significant part of it will not.That’s not the outcome many preservationists hoped for, but nonetheless they’ve proven that many Miamians do indeed care about their history.
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