SLEEPY EYE - As if Chief Sleepy Eye was looking down from above, a brief rainstorm stopped just in time Saturday afternoon for the exchange of a Pipestone Indian Peace Pipe from his seventh generation grandchild to the Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society.
Karyn Douglas Cissill of Palm Desert, Calif. presented the Peace Pipe to Sleepy Eye Depot Museum Director Debbie Joramo at a ceremony that included burning incense, drumming and singing.
"He's always watching over our city... As for the Peace Pipe, it's too bad we can't get all the world leaders to sit down as Chief Sleepy Eye did many years ago and smoke the Peace Pipe. We would have a better world if they did," said Sleepy Eye Mayor Jim Broich.
Cissill said her mother and brother died last year so she gave the Peace Pipe back to the community where Chief Sleepy Eye lived much of his life and where his bones are buried.
"We believe in the power and spiritualism of this pipe. Thank you very much on behalf of Chief Sleepy Eye," Cissill added.
Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society President Judy Beech said Chief Sleepy Eye (aka Ishtakhaba), considered always a friend of the white settlers, was born near Swan Lake and later moved to where Sleepy Eye is now located.
He was known for trying to promote peace with whites in and around Minnesota, signed at least four treaties with the U.S. government and met with President James Monroe in Washington, D.C. in 1824.
Chief Sleepy Eye died and was originally buried in Roberts County, S.D. in 1860. Many years after his death, Chief Sleepy Eye's remains were disinterred, moved to Sleepy Eye and buried under the Sleepy Eye Monument just east of the Depot Museum.
The Peace Pipe was given to Chief Sleepy Eye's great grandson, Lazarus Adams when he was the 1972 Sleepy Eye Centennial Parade Grand Marshall.
Since no Medicine Man was available for Saturday's ceremony, the pipe was not assembled and smoked yet, although incense was burned and drumming and singing was provided by Dane Nelson of Morton.
When a Medicine Man is available to smoke the pipe at another ceremony, it will be assembled and replaced in a Depot Museum display case.
In ceremonial usage, pipe smoke is believed to carry prayers to the attention of the Creator or other powerful spirits.
A type of herbal tobacco or herbal mixture is often used for special smoking occasions. Each region's people use plants considered to have special qualities or a culturally condoned basis for ceremonial use.
Before lighter cigarette tobacco was developed, the smoke was too harsh to be inhaled traditionally by Native Americans in ceremonial use. The smoke is not inhaled at most peace pipe ceremonies.
Fritz Busch can be
e-mailed at
