The Spencer Museum of Art is hosting a storytelling circle focused on Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe, or the Sacred Red Rock, as part of a current exhibit exploring how the boulder was returned to the Kaw Nation.
The event will run from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Spencer Museum of Art, Marshall Balcony, 1301 Mississippi St.
“Join local artist Dave Loewenstein and Curator Sydney Pursel in a guided storytelling circle focused on reflections about the Sacred Red Rock. Participation in the circle will be limited but everyone is welcome to attend and observe,” according to the event page.
The storytelling circle is contextualized by the Spencer’s current exhibition, “Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe: Return of the Sacred Red Rock,” which was curated by Pursel, citizen of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, in collaboration with an advisory committee of Kaw Nation citizens.
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“The Sacred Red Rock is a 28-ton red Siouxan quartzite boulder that holds immense cultural and spiritual significance for the Kanza people of the Kaw Nation,” per the exhibition description. “The Rock originally sat at the confluence of the Kaw River and Shunganunga Creek near Tecumseh, Kansas, after being deposited by glaciers.”
The Kanza were separated from the boulder when the United States government forced them off of their land in 1873. Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe was moved to Lawrence for the city’s 75th anniversary celebration in 1929.
“While efforts to rematriate Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe go back to the 1990s, it wasn’t until 2021 that the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to issue a formal apology to Kaw Nation and assist with the return,” the description reads.
The rock was officially rematriated, or reunited with people of the Kaw Nation, in June 2024. It now rests on Kaw land at Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park near Council Grove.
The Spencer exhibition collects artwork by local artists and Kaw tribal citizens to narrate the Sacred Red Rock’s return to the Kaw people. It is currently on view through Jan. 25, 2026 on the Larry & Barbara Marshall Family Balcony.
The Spencer is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The museum is free to everyone and there are designated spots for free parking on the first level of the Mississippi Street garage across the street. Guests can get parking validation by checking in and providing their license plate number at the welcome desk.
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Molly Adams / Lawrence TimesCommunity can reflect on Sacred Red Rock, returned to the Kaw Nation, during storytelling circle
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Molly Adams / Lawrence TimesCommunity can reflect on Sacred Red Rock, returned to the Kaw Nation, during storytelling circle
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
