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Rocknapping revisited
(4)Or a return to another older culture war.
Back last October, we had a conversation here about the claim that Portsmouth, Ohio had stolen an historical artifact called the Indian Head Rock from the Ohio River, which actually lies, mostly, in Kentucky.
The story was that a group of volunteer divers from a private company had lifted this 8-ton boulder, covered with 19th century graffiti and possibly some Native American petroglyphs, from the Ohio where it had been under water since the river was dammed in the 1920s. The rock was delivered to Portsmouth for display in their cultural center.
This photo, by T. W. Allen of the Portsmouth Daily Times, shows the Indian Head Rock currently housed in Portsmouth’s city service department’s garage.
It was then that Tanya Pullin cried rocknapping. Pullin is a Kentucky legislator from Portsmouth’s sister city, South Shore, Kentucky.
Now Charlie Whitt, our South Shore correspondent, has logged in with a new chapter in the story. Seems it’s gone all the way to the Kentucky General Assembly (which, apparently, has time on its hands). From the Portsmouth Daily Times:
In a resolution from the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, posted Jan. 7, part of the document reads, “Whereas, the citizens of Kentucky believe that removing Indian Head Rock to Portsmouth, Ohio for display shows disrespect to this country’s Native American heritage; and Whereas, Kentucky’s Native American Heritage Commission voted on November 1, 2007 for a resolution calling for the return of Indian Head Rock to its original location; now, therefore, Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. This honorable body condemns the removal of Indian Head Rock from its original location on the floor of the Ohio River to Portsmouth, Ohio, and requests that it be returned to its original location. Section 2. The clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the city of Portsmouth, Mr. James D. Kalb, mayor, 728 Second Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662.”
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Rep. Reginald Meeks, D-Louisville, who is a member of Kentucky’s Native American Heritage Commission, is sponsoring the resolution in the assembly.
Meeks also has been quoted as saying if legal means does not bring the rock back to Kentucky, “we may have to send a raiding party into Portsmouth.”
In the old days, the Native Americans, with some help from the British, raided out of Ohio into Kentucky. That didn’t work out too good for them. I think maybe the last time Kentucky raided into Ohio was during the Civil War. That didn’t work out too good for us either.
South Shore Commissioner David Piatt says the lege is getting a little ahead of itself:
“Mayor (James) Kalb contacted the city of South Shore 24 hours after the rock was removed and offered it back to the city of South Shore,” said City Commissioner David Piatt. “(South Shore) Mayor Cheryl Moore and I talked with Kalb, and he offered the rock to us on several occasions, and we just didn’t have a place for it. It is very fragile, and until we have a place for it, we know Portsmouth is taking good care of it for us.”
Kalb said it may be true it legally belongs to the state of Kentucky, but he thinks with all the Ohio carvings on it, it really wouldn’t make sense to the people in Kentucky to want it. Kalb said the decision as to the placement of the rock probably will be made in the courts. But he has an idea what might make the best compromise.
“I talked with the mayor (Moore) and the commissioner (Piatt), and I have told them I would be pleased to display it near where it came out of the water, and to put a plaque on it that reads, ‘on permanent loan from the state of Kentucky,” Kalb said. “I have sent numerous letters to state officials, and I haven’t heard back…”
But looks to me like the lege is saying the rock doesn’t belong to South Shore either but should be put back in the river under water. Not sure how that could be accomplished at this point. We’re not talking about some gentle stream here. The Ohio River is a force to be reckoned with. Getting the rock out was a feat; putting it back where it was looks like a folly.
But we all know, to our sorrow, that administrations looking to start a war aren’t interested in real intelligence.
Thanks, Charlie.
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4 Responses to “Rocknapping revisited”
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I was watching a program where two people were going to cross the Suiattle River in northern Washington on horseback. The water came up to the horses’ bellies and everyone was saying that if a person got swept off his feet the current would suck him under for sure.
It was a tense moment, but they got across all right. The Ohio is much deeper than the Suiattle was where they forded it. It’s probably not worth someone’s life to put the Indian Head Rock back in place.
Probably best to put it on display in a Kentucky museum. My only thought is, thank god the Creation Museum doesn’t have enough money to buy it.
(Incidentally, the two men who crossed the river were going to see if they could encounter Gigantopithecus, but the program ran out of time and we never saw any results from the several efforts that expedition made to catch “the real King Kong” in the Pacific Northwest. But that’s a rant for another day.)
Love,
T
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Deb Keeton March 6th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Here’s a thought.. If the rock fell from Ky. then it’s theirs. If the rock was in OH. it’s ours. I can’t believe that these people have nothing better to do than fight over a rock. WAKE UP!! Both states have senior citizens that are barely scraping by and can’t get help from their state. Not to mention the herds of people who breed like rabbits on welfare just because they can. There are bigger problems than who gets the rock. While I find the local history interesting, I don’t see why we need to spend tax dollars to fight over a rock. Thanks guys. Now we really do look like a bunch of hilljacks.
D Keeton -
Jacqui May 28th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
How terrible! Removing this rock from its original location was not preservation! It was vandalism. Before any action was carried out a study should have been done on the resource and a plan devised that included the measures needed to preserve and stabilize the object as well as how and where to interpret the significance of the artifact. The professionals might have said leave it there!
What a bunch of hick amateurs. And several state officials are on record as not getting what all the fuss it about. . . Does Ohio know how to take care of its history. Where is the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office? Shame, shame, shame. . . why does the state even hire archeologists, historians and folks with preservation experience if they aren’t going to use them?
Why don’t the elected officals in Ohio call the variuos federal agenices that have experience in the theft of antiquities? Then the elected officals can deal with unemployment and education matters.
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KY has 2 points in their claim: 1 that the rock was in KY waters, which unfortunately seems to be true and 2 that it has Native American pictographs on it (which ahs never been proven). If I were Portsmouth’s historian, I would be researching every name that is craved into that rock and connecting as many to Portmouth’s late residents as I could. Do 20 known Portsmouth scribbblers outweight 1 unknown Native American?
I’m glad the town of South Shore was using comon sense. It will be a great tourist attraction and I’m sure the 2 towns — without the interference of their state governments — would have come to an agreement. Let the locals handle this and drop the stupid theft charges. Remind me not to pick up a pebble in KY.
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