Sacred Red Rock departs Lawrence, going back to the Kaw Nation

The Sacred Red Rock began its journey back to the Kaw Nation Wednesday morning.

The move followed a celebration Tuesday morning that drew hundreds in attendance, and a ceremony Wednesday morning that was closed to the public.

The massive red Siouxan quartzite boulder, Iⁿ ‘zhúje ‘waxóbe, holds deep historical, cultural and spiritual meaning to the Kaw Nation. It had been at Robinson Park near Lawrence City Hall since it was taken from its natural location at the intersection of the Shunganunga Creek and Kansas River near Tecumseh nearly a century ago. It was then turned into a monument that honored the majority white people who settled in the area.

The city formally apologized for the theft of the boulder in March 2021 and pledged its return. The Mellon Foundation in spring 2022 announced a $5 million grant to assist with the project, which includes moving the boulder. The majority of the grant money, though, will be used to develop infrastructure with educational visuals situated with the sacred rock at Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park — land the Kaw Nation owns near Council Grove — to honor history and allow visitors to learn about it.

Project leaders, including James Pepper Henry, tribal vice chair of the Kaw Nation, Sydney Pursel, curator for public practice at Spencer Museum of Art, and Dave Loewenstein, local artist and community organizer, were present Wednesday to send the massive boulder on its way.

The process to get the boulder onto the flatbed took a little less than an hour and a half.

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Molly Adams (she/her), photographer for The Lawrence Times, is a Haskell alum with a passion for photojournalism. She strives to create authentic images that portray the true lives of Lawrence community members.

She can be reached at molly (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com, and her public work can be found on her website. Check out more of her work for the Times here.

The Sacred Red Rock began its journey back to the Kaw Nation Wednesday morning.

Community members overflowed a tent set up to accommodate those in attendance for a celebration Tuesday as the Sacred Red Rock is finally being returned to the Kaw Nation after nearly a century in possession of the City of Lawrence.

Partners working on the Sacred Red Rock project will host a public sendoff for the boulder as it will soon be returned to the Kaw Nation. Other events will be private, however.

In preparation for the return of the Sacred Red Rock to the Kaw Nation, people involved in the project on Monday removed a plaque dedicating the boulder to white settlers.

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The Sacred Red Rock began its journey back to the Kaw Nation Wednesday morning.

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