Pipestone National Monument: Junior Ranger Activity Booklet, Ages 8 and Up

Quarrying

Quarrying is a difficult process. Pipestone is quarried, or taken from out of the ground, by first digging through the grass and soil and then breaking up 10 or more feet of the hard Sioux Quartzite. Then 1 to 1½ feet of pipestone is removed in sheets of about 4 inches thick. The quarriers will use this stone to carve pipes and other small crafts. Today only American Indians are allowed to quarry, and then only with a permit. American Indians from many different tribes come here to quarry pipestone.

Pipestone quarry

Here are some examples of tools quarriers use.

Wheelbarrow
Crow Bar
Demolition Bar
Sledge Hammer
Work Gloves
Shovel
Wedge
Pry Bar
Safety Goggles
Whisk Broom

Imagine you are a quarrier. Start at the bolded box on top and follow the dotted lines to find out how pipestone is quarried. If you make it to the bolded box on the bottom you have completed your task.

Quarry maze

You arrive at the quarry, because the snow melted your pit is full of water.

The pump is clogged—go back and try again.

The water is pumped out, your pit is now empty.

You must break apart the top layer of quartzite.

As you were hammering, your wedge broke—go back and try again.

You have successfully broken apart the quartzite layer.

Use the rubble to build a retaining wall.

Pile the quartzite outside of the pit.

Your wall fell in—go back to start.

There was a hole in your bucket—go back and try again.

Your wall held strong.

The pit is clear of quartzite rubble.

You have reached the Pipestone layer.

You find a large piece of stone but you drop it and it breaks—go back and try again.

You safely remove a large slab of stone.

Now you are ready to carve your stone into a pipe!

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