Gitchie Manitou is a small (91 acre)

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

in Lyon County, in the extreme northwestern corner of Iowa just northwest of

Granite, Iowa Granite is an unincorporated community in Lyon County, Iowa, United States, near the historic Blood Run Site and the Gitchie Manitou State Preserve. Geography Granite is the most northwestern community in Iowa near the banks of the Big Sioux Rive ...

, or just southeast of

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. This natural

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

preserve is noted for its ancient Native American burial mounds and

precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...

Sioux Quartzite The Sioux Quartzite is a Proterozoic quartzite that is found in the region around the intersection of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa, and correlates with other rock units throughout the upper midwestern and southwestern United States. It was ...

outcroppings, which are about 1.6 billion years old.

History

In 1916, the state of Iowa purchased the first for use as a quarry, but later transferred the area to the Board of Conservation.The area was initially classified as a state park, and later a "preserve." It was formally dedicated as a geological, archaeological, historical, and biological preserve in 1969. The preserve was named for the creator spirit in

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

Indian tradition, ''Gichi-Manidoo'' (literally "Great Spirit" or "Great Force of Nature"). The smooth, pink-colored bedrock is the oldest exposed rock in the state.

1973 Murder Case

The preserve was the scene of a 1973 homicide. Four teenagers were killed and a fifth was raped. Three brothers were convicted of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment.http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20131126/NEWS01/311260058/Sole-survivor-of-brutal-1973-slayings-finds-strength-to-tell-her-story?Frontpage

References

External links

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
{{Protected Areas of Iowa Iowa state preserves Protected areas of Lyon County, Iowa Grasslands of Iowa Protected areas established in 1969