Baraboo sacred burial ground ‘Man Mound’ becomes national historic landmark

Selected for its representation of cultural heritage and diversity, a sacred Native American burial ground in Baraboo became the first effigy mound designated as a National Historic Landmark by the federal government Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of the Interior designated the thousand-year-old artifact of Native American heritage entitled “Man Mound” as a site possessing “exceptional value” in American history.

National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis acknowledged the site’s skillful design and cultural significance in a release.

“During the National Park Service’s Centennial year, we are celebrating the places that tell America’s stories, and these newly designated National Historic Landmarks recognize important experiences that help us understand our history and culture,” Jarvis said.

While the Sauk County earthen sculpture’s newfound fame will likely draw increasing crowds in the coming months, one man has passionately invested his time and livelihood in the monument long before the national recognition.

Serving as caretaker for the past eight years, Rob Nurre’s contagious enthusiasm for North America’s last remaining anthropomorphic mound inspired him to take up residence a quarter mile, or as he illustrated in a phone interview, “in man-mound terms: 17 man-mount steps away.”

With daily visits he admires the changing seasons’ effect “when the colors change, when different things bloom that are growing on the mound, when the first snow happens.”

“It is a thousand year old—give or take—work of art. Clearly it’s a burial site; it is a ceremonial site; it is a sacred site to the descendants of the natives people who created it, but it is also this fascinating work of art on the landscape itself,” Nurre said in an interview.

“[This] tells us a great deal about how the people who lived on this land a thousand years ago interacted with [it],” he added. “Because they took the time and made the effort to create this 214-foot-long sculpture right on the land. That’s pretty spectacular.”

Though he wishes to know the mound’s mysterious meaning, Nurre enjoys imploring visitors to “bring their own experience” and ponder its possible interpretations rather than force a singular answer.

With long, bent knees and a heart-shaped head, the ancient, now national, monument nestled within the Baraboo hills encourages “[celebration] and respect [of] the long history of people who have lived on this land,” according to Nurre.

Although attention centers on the “Man Mound,” Nurre said he hopes this announcement inspires appreciation and understanding for the many existing effigy mounds throughout the Midwest.