The prairie restoration project northwest of Luverne was officially christened "Touch the Sky Prairie" at a dedication celebration Saturday night. "It was one of the most memorable and meaningful events of my life," said nature photographer Jim Brandenburg, a Luverne native. The first of the prairie seed was planted and the well-attended ceremony included a grass dance, a bonfire and guitar music and singing by Luverne native Bill Keitel. A group of Dakota medicine men passed pipes to everyone in the crowd, a gesture that is strictly unheard of in the Indian nation, according to Chamber Director Dave Smith. "It was really neat they felt that strongly about the prairie project that they would allow non-Indians to participate," said Smith.
The project is the first of its kind in the nation, as the result of cooperation between the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 300- to 400-acre tract in Mound Township will return to its original tall grass prairie. The piece of land is one that Brandenburg said he had his eye on for a while because of the rocks rubbed smooth by roaming bison and because the land has never been tilled.
Photo by Cloyce Smith