These types of mounds are only found in northeastern iowa, southern wisconsin, northern illinois, and southeastern minnesota. The mounds preserved here are considered sacred by many americans, especially the monument's 20 culturally associated american indian tribes These mounds — some in shapes of animals, such as bears — continue to exist today, and can be visited without much effort or hiking at effigy mounds national monument in harpers ferry, iowa.
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Established in 1949 and located on bluffs overlooking the river, the monument has 195 known mounds
Most of the mounds are conical, but about 30 are effigies in the shape of birds and bears.
The effigy mounds culture lived in northeastern iowa, southern wisconsin, northern illinois, and southeastern minnesota They created many different shapes, but here the bird and bear mounds predominate. These mounds are believed to represent a ceremonial procession, showcasing the importance of bears in native american culture. Some effigy mound groups were built to a monumental scale
The marching bear group, containing 10 bear and three bird effigies, stretches nearly one quarter mile along a bluff top overlooking the upper mississippi river.
