photo by: Kansas State Historical Society | Wichita Eagle
This sacred rock in Lawrence was once located along the banks of the Kaw River at the mouth of Shunganunga Creek. The Kaw people used the 10-foot tall red rock with religious ceremonies. In 1929, the rock was moved to Robinson Park near Lawrence s City Hall to honor the town s founders.
As the City of Lawrence begins work to return a sacred prayer rock stolen from the Kaw Nation’s homelands nearly a century ago, it is asking the community for any historical documents to help understand how the boulder was brought to Lawrence and installed in its current location.
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
The Shunganunga boulder, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, is a 23-ton red quartzite rock that sits in Robinson Park in downtown Lawrence across from City Hall. In 1929, a group of Lawrence officials arranged to take the boulder from the Shunganunga Creek near Tecumseh, where the creek joins with the Kansas River â a site that was sacred to the Kanza tribe.
In an effort to right one of the wrongs of Lawrence’s past, city leaders have officially committed to returning a sacred prayer rock to the Kaw Nation and to issue a formal apology for its removal from the tribe’s homeland decades ago.
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
The Shunganunga boulder, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, is a 23-ton red quartzite rock that sits in Robinson Park in downtown Lawrence across from City Hall. In 1929, a group of Lawrence officials arranged to take the boulder from the Shunganunga Creek near Tecumseh, where the creek joins with the Kansas River â a site that was sacred to the Kanza tribe.
City leaders will soon consider making an official commitment to return a sacred prayer rock to the Kaw Nation and to issue a formal apology for its removal from the tribe’s homeland decades ago.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting a joint resolution with Douglas County to offer a formal apology to the people of the Kaw Nation for the appropriation of the sacred rock, In ÌzhuÌje ÌwaxoÌbe, and agreeing to its unconditional return to the Kaw Nation.
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
The Shunganunga boulder, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, is a 23-ton red quartzite rock that sits in Robinson Park in downtown Lawrence across from City Hall. In 1929, a group of Lawrence officials arranged to take the boulder from the Shunganunga Creek near Tecumseh, where the creek joins with the Kansas River â a site that was sacred to the Kanza tribe.
Decades after the City of Lawrence removed a sacred prayer rock from the Kaw Nation’s homelands and made it into a monument honoring settlers, city leaders will begin working to return the rock and issue a formal apology to the tribe.
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
The Shunganunga boulder, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, is a 23-ton red quartzite rock that sits in Robinson Park in downtown Lawrence across from City Hall. In 1929, a group of Lawrence officials arranged to take the boulder from the Shunganunga Creek near Tecumseh, where the creek joins with the Kansas River â a site that was sacred to the Kanza tribe.
City leaders will soon consider a request from the Kaw Nation to return a sacred prayer rock that was removed from the tribe’s homelands decades ago and made into a monument honoring settlers, including potential ways to fund the rock’s relocation.