Stone honors many tribes at Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi

Submitted photo

Wabash Valley Correctional Facility

CARLISLE -- Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) Deputy Commissioner Jim Basinger was on hand to help dedicate a memorial stone at the Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi Mound Historical Park in Sullivan County. 

Minimum-security crews from the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (WVCF) played a major role in the initial development of the park.  The site, dedicated in 2013, honors Native Americans who lived along the Wabash river near Sullivan County prior to the arrival of Europeans.

WVCF crews helped clear the park land and create trails for visitors.  It is maintained by the Sullivan County American Indian Council.  The park not only preserves burial mounds and ceremonial locations it also helps educate the public about Native American history.

​The Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission placed the memorial stone at Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi to honor the many tribes that lived on the land long before Indiana became a state.  Deputy Commissioner Basinger said he was proud to represent the IDOC at the ceremony adding, “The Wabash Valley Correctional Facility was pleased to donate the labor which helped create this living memorial for generations to come.”