LAWRENCE, Kan. — A Native American tribe is seeking the return of a prayer rock that was transformed into a monument honoring Kansas settlers.
Before the Kaw people were forcibly moved from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma in 1873, they held ceremonies and gathering before the 23-ton boulder known as the “Big Red Rock.” As Lawrence prepared for its 75th anniversary in 1929, the rock was moved to a park in town. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a letter from the Kaw Nation says the intent is to bring the rock to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove.
The long-range goal is to develop the site into a place where people can learn about the state’s original inhabitants.
