Jennison Rd - Shutesbury

[Reader Nicholas writes:]

I travel all over New England for work, and try to make it a point to have my rest-stops be in the area of some known stone site, chamber, local legend.

I made a stop last time in Shutesbury to visit the splendid Monk’s Chamber. Always happy to spend some time in there!

I left the chamber and began my ride on Jennison road, heading into Wendell. I was taking it slow and was able to spot a curious arrangement of stone about 30 ft off of the dirt road. A large farm was down the road a bit, but otherwise a sleepy and forgotten pasture was the only neighbor.

There were quite a few arrangements in fact, some bearing striking resemblance to other sites I have been to. It being so close to the Monk and Ames chambers, I figured it worth documenting a bit!

Happy Wanderings!
-Nicholas

Goat Hill - Uxbridge, MA

Reader Stacey writes:

I came across your blog when trying to find info about the stone structures that I’ve seen on Goat Hill in Uxbridge. I go hiking in this area often and nearly every time I see something I hadn’t noticed before. Here is a link with just some of the photos I’ve taken recently:  

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-1OMeuR7xAZqTVEu5mxr8Bysdv8eIAAP

Some info about the area: the hill overlooks the Blackstone River with Wolf Hill and Lookout Rock to the northeast on the other side of the river. Lookout Rock is said to have been used by Native Americans to oversee the valley. Goat Hill is deposited with huge glacial erratics and a ton of quartz. The eastern slope of the hill was utilized for the Blackstone Canal and towpath, but I don’t think the features on the upper terraces and the western/southern slopes are as modern as the canal. All throughout the area are old stonewalls (that look to vary in age and construction), cairns, rock piles, split boulders, rock shelters, manitou stones, and effigies. Many of these features seem to be “connected”, either in close proximity to one another or physically connected by stone walls.

The photos are really just a tiny portion of what’s there and I’m surprised I can’t find much online about it. If you haven’t explored this area, I think you would find it really interesting and would love to hear what you think. I think the photos have the location info attached, but I also have a map in CalTopo that I’ve marked the locations of some of the features. 

Pine Hawk: "New England Archaeological Discoveries" & more

Wed. Oct 9    "Archaeological Discoveries in New England"

Tues. Oct 15  "Ancient Winters at the Flagg Swamp Rockshelter"

Sat.  Oct 18    Adult Archaeology Walk  

Presented with support from Acton Memorial Library and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, events are free but require registration at tinyurl.com/pinehawk-2024

 

Sacred Stones, Vision Quest, and the Nashobah Praying Indians

 [From Dan Boudillion]

Sacred Stones, Vision Quest, and the Nashobah Praying Indians

 

 

Dear Friends of the Nashobah Praying Indians!

 

Strong Bear Medicine and the Prayers in Stone Project Ceremonial Stone Landscape team will be presenting at the Littleton Lyceum on Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30 pm.  The venue is the Littleton High School Auditorium located at 56 King Street, Littleton, MA.

 

You will need to buy tickets for this event and can do so online:

https://www.littletonlyceum.org/  

 

Here is the full description of the presentation:

 

Littleton’s Hidden Sacred-Shamanic Landscape:

Sacred Stones, Vision Quest, and the Nashobah Praying Indians

 

Presented by the Prayers in Stone Project founders and Littleton residents: Sagamore Strong Bear Medicine & Historian Daniel V. Boudillion. 

 

Littleton is sacred ground.  We walk and live amongst a Native-made Spirit-dwelling landscape, a shamanic-world hidden just out of sight, set aside in 1654 by the Nashobah Praying Indians to preserve this sacred place.  Journey with us as we explore a world of ceremonial stone constructions, from antiquity to modern times, hidden all around us: prayers to Creator built of stone, spirit summoning enclosures, vision seats, spirit portals, manitou stones, solstice sunrise welcoming sites, sacred turtle effigies, serpent rows, and earthen dance-rings to name a few.  Tread softly here, this landscape lives, and is a place of communion between the Great Spirit and the human spirit. 

Strong Bear Medicine is the Sagamore of the Nashobah Praying Indians and spiritual custodian of these ancient sacred sites.  Daniel V. Boudillion is a Littleton historian, author, and sacred sites visionary. 

 

Link to Littleton Lyceum ticket sales:

https://www.littletonlyceum.org/  

 

 

Looking forward to seeing you all, presenting new information about our Native sacred landscape, and introducing the Prayers in Stone Project team!

Nolumbeka Project announcement

Marge Bruchac and Dan Shears in Turners Falls September 14. Click Here for Details 

Shadows on the Stone (Woodbridge CT)

 At Just the Right Moment

Are those marks made with the "stone/bone/horn/wooden Indigenous tools" from pre contact times, or were they made with post contact European steel stone masonry tools?

 I can answer that question very quickly: "I don't know."

Special thanks to Yehuda Jay Wolkoff for capturing the image and allowing me to use it here!

More here: https://wakinguponturtleisland.blogspot.com/2024/09/waking-up-on-turtle-island-again.html

Mike Luoma's Video Series

Mike gave me shout-out in this video. 

Ancient Stone Mysteries of New England - Feature Focus: Nashoba Brook Stone Prayers in Acton, MA (youtube.com)

Much appreciated. Nashoba Brook is where we all cut out teeth on the subject.

Natick Powwow - Sept 28

[More from Dan Boudillion]

Dear Friends of the Nashobah Praying Indians,

We are happy to announce that the Praying Indians will be holding their annual Powwow in Natick on September 28 of this month. 

 Please see flyer, attached. We look forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes,

Dan Boudillion

Secretary

Friends of the Nashobah Praying Indians 

Event: Strong Bear Medicine talk in Acton 9-17-2024

 [From Dan Boudillion:] 

Dear Friends of the Nashobah Praying Indians,

 

Please support Strong Bear Medicine who will be speaking in Acton on 9-17 at an event sponsored by the Sudbury Valley Trustees.

 

We are looking forward to partnering the SVT on this important talk.  It is the first time Strong Bear has presented in Acton. 

See flyer, attached. 

 

Registration required, see flyer, or here: https://www.svtweb.org/outdoor-voices-speaker-series