Prayer Rock

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In late 1924, Richard Pettigrew began searching for a sacred boulder to add to his museum. Eventually, this three-ton example was found on a ranch near Evarts, South Dakota. Pettigrew placed the boulder outside his home and museum in 1925, and it has been on exhibit ever since. Rock art has been recorded in this region since early exploration by whites. Experts do not agree as to exactly when rock art work was created, who used it, or why it was made. Further investigation and examination has found that tribes such as the Sioux, Mandan, and Hidatsa all have a history with the spiritual power of rocks. “Prayer rocks,” such as this one, are carved with images of people, animals, hoof prints, hands, and feet. The carvings on this boulder are of adult hands and a child’s foot. The open hand was sometimes a symbol of peaceful living and open spiritual prayer.