Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi Mounds Historical Park Investigation

The Miami Indians of Indiana called the Wabash River, “Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi.” Translated into English: “The reflective waters of the Wabash River”, which was a reference to the glistening reflective qualities of the river bottom that in places consisted of sandstone. According to historical records and archaeological research, this cultural Mound 10 acre site in Northwest Sullivan County appears to date back to the Late Woodland Era, A.D. 500-1650, pre-European contact.

In times past the mound builders used sacred sites like these for ceremonial purposes. Records show that Miami, Wea, Piankashaw, Kickapoo, Delaware and Shawnee tribes were present along the river hunting and trading in what is now the Wabash Valley. A mile south of this location are the “Narrows”, a historically documented Wabash River crossing. The natives would camp in what is now the settlement of Riverview waiting for the river to go down so it could be crossed.

Indeed even today, when the Wabash is less than a foot in Terre Haute, one can walk across the river albeit keeping one’s balance is tricky!

This mound site is preserved from the erosion of time and protected for the future. While the park land is owned by the Indiana Michigan Power Company, the park is leased to a group of volunteers who are interested in history, memory and preservation.

Organized as a non-profit 501C3 the group hosts educational gatherings and drum ceremonies for the enjoyment of the general public. The various shelters can be reserved for family gatherings, weddings and community get togethers. The park is open for free from dawn to dusk but donations are graciously accepted. Donations can be mailed to Mr. Hugh Oxendine, 15595 S. Elliot Place, Farmersburg, IN 47850.

Among the artifacts discovered at the site were a Colt revolver from 1860, deer antlers with carvings, and pottery which carbon-dated back 1,500 years. It's believed the Kickapoo Indians built the mound for ceremonial purposes, and other groups have used it since. There is also a 70 foot Medicine Wheel divided into four equal parts and even a large statue of a Bigfoot as well as other Native American Indian carvings and statues.

Address: 9098 W. CR 825N, Fairbanks, Indiana 47849

Phone: 812-236-3831 (Faye Charles Hunt Adamson)

Owners: Indiana Michigan Power Company

Hauntings: No specific haunting phenomena has been reported however a lot of Native American Indian sites are often associated with paranormal activity. The Indians are the “true Americans” because they all have their roots right in American while most of our ancestors came from overseas.

The Ghost Research Society investigated Waapaahsikie Siipiiwi Mounds Historical Park on August 2, 2019 and the team members included: Mike Rosario and Dale Kaczmarek, with help from Jason Snider from Crawford County Illinois Ghost Society and Joann Wade

Equipment setup: No equipment was setup here and this was more another scouting location for a return trip. Digital recorders, Ovilus X and camcorders were employed here with very little success.

Experiments performed: A single Ovilus X session was conducted on the summit of the Indian mound while Snider attempted to produce a live Facebook session with no success.

Personal experiences: This was a very peaceful place as we visited it during daylight hours. I’m sure that the area would have taken on a different feeling at night. It was a very hot day and insects buzzing around but besides that, very quiet.

Evidence collected: None

Words spoken by the Ovilus X in dictionary mode: happens and nothing was picked up in phonetic mode.

Conclusions: I believe that this would be an interesting location to follow up on especially after dusk. With additional equipment, especially Nightshot cameras, I think more evidence could be collected. Our visit here was very brief and we took a number of pictures of the mound, Medicine Wheel, Bigfoot and other Indian statues and enjoyed the day.

Snider could not produce a live Facebook video there and it wasn’t due to poor signals. His camera’s face was completely black and it appeared to continue to drop coverage even though there was sufficient coverage to do a live session.

A follow up at night would be great if Snider could secure permission for that!