Public Art
Reconciliation Park
Artist Statement:
On September 19, 1997, reconciliation Park was dedicated. The park is the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history where 38 Dakota Indians were hanged by the government. This was the result of trials during the U.S. Dakota Conflict of 1862. Tom Miller sculpted the buffalo from a 67-ton block of local Kasota limestone; it is surrounded by native flowers and prairie grasses. The buffalo symbolizes the spiritual survival of the Dakota People and honors the Dakota heritage of this area. The park is a site to reflect, meditate and remember.” A reconciliation for all people.” Dakota Elder Amos Owen, 1997.
Location: Riverfront Drive at Main Street
About Thomas Miller
Thomas Miller was born in Mankato in 1960 and studied art at the Laguna Beach School of Art in CA. It was there that he discovered his natural talent for stone carving. Since his graduation in 1980, he has amassed extensive professional experience in sculpting and cutting. Many of his pieces have obtained national recognition. He currently runs Monuments by Miller out of Mankato.