Tunka Oyate (The Rocks)
Nestled between Conn Library, the Studio Arts Building, and Connell Hall is a walkway lined with tall granite boulders giving way to flatter rocks, trees, and grass. The area is officially named “Tunka Oyate,” or informally as “The Rocks,” and was dedicated in 2002. The project was part of the “1 Percent for Art” state mandate.
“Tunka Oyate” is a Lakota phrase meaning “pathway or connection to earth and man’s beginnings.” The artist, Zoran Mojsilov, was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and moved to Minneapolis in 1986.
A June 2002 Wayne Herald article described the symbolism of the Rocks project: “Large boulders from quarries in Minnesota were transported to campus and arranged on either side of the walkway. Landscaping on the north slope of the boulders, symbolizing Northeast Nebraska’s terrain, will feature hills and valleys. The south slope will represent the prairie, with buffalo grass and other native plantings included. Several flat boulders have been located near the walkway for gathering spots for small groups or classes.”