A Sacred Place is Restored with Honor
He Mni Can / Barn Bluff Interpretive Trailhead
City of Red Wing & Prairie Island Indian Community, MN
In a historic act to halt disrespectful behavior by the public, the City of Red Wing came together with the Prairie Island Indian Community with Signature Design to bring the story of this ancient place of significant European and Dakota Nations to life for visitors entering this popular contemplative and recreational site.
Services
Interpretive Planning
Content Research & Writing
Translation to Dakota language
Exhibit Design
Graphic Design
Production Documents
Construction Administration
Design Approach
Barn Bluff, known as He Mni Can (Hill Water Wood), has always been a central hub for the Dakota peoples since their origin at the “Bdote”, at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, the place where they believe the first creation happened.
Rising 350 feet from the valley floor, Barn Bluff is a renowned natural geologic feature of the upper Mississippi River Valley. Barn Bluff has long been a popular recreation site for primitive rock climbing, skiing, and hiking, yet not always respected. In a historic act to halt disrespectful behavior by the public, including a graffiti portrait of Prince scaring the sacred face of the bluff, Barn Bluff was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 1990 to be forever protected.
Signature Design worked with the City of Red Wing and the Prairie Island Indian Community to build the interpretive program. Sculptural “Storytellers”present two sides to every story: themes from the Dakota and the Euro-American viewpoints. All interpretation is bilingual with sound recordings spoken in Dakotan. “Columns of Dialogue” are a series of seven columns, an important number in the Dakotan creation story, stand 17’ tall illustrating cultural patterns of the Prairie Island Community while telling interpretive stories.
