(Due to circumstances beyond our control (major road work at
the intersection near the entrance to the Wissatinnewag site) we decided, for
safety reasons, to postpone the previously announced gathering of stones for our prayer mound until another
time. The rest of the activities will take place as planned.)
 |
| Reconciliation Ceremony, 2004 (photo courtesy Doug Brown) |
The 3rd Annual Great Falls Commemoration Ceremony will take place in Turners Falls on Saturday, May 16. The
gathering, co-sponsored by the Nolumbeka
Project and Turners Falls RiverCulture, will this year be part of a larger, all
day event, River’s Song. The Nolumbeka Project events will be held at
the River Tent at Unity
Park:
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Commemoration Ceremony;
1:30 – 2:30 p.m Visioning B.E.A.R. Singers;
2:30 – 3:00
p.m. River Stories in Poetry and Song
with David Brule and others.
This part of the Connecticut River
is spiritually an exceptional location and the historical significance
for the
indigenous peoples of the Northeast is well-documented. For millennia
the area of Great Falls (Peskeompskut) and Wissatinnewag
(Shining Hill) was a gathering place for numerous Northeastern tribes
during
the fish runs and served as a place where diplomacy and peace prevailed.
That ended 339 years ago on May 19, 1676 with the infamous
massacre. Unity Park
is where, 11 years ago on May 19, 2004, the
Reconciliation Ceremony was held between the
Town of Montague
and the Narragansett to “begin to put the traumatic echoes of the past
to
rest". The ceremony will honor and
recognize both events and feature music from Nolumbeka Project president
Joe
Graveline and Loril Moondream and guest speakers.
If you missed the remarkable River Walk on May 2 walk, here’s another chance: from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. that evening ( May 16) David Brule will lead a walk on the Unity Park bike path and talk about
10,000 years of Native American presence near the Great Falls. It
involves leisurely walking along paved bike path for 1-1.5 miles. It is accessible
to all; dogs on leashes welcome.
We are seeking volunteers for this event and other Nolumbeka Project activities!
Please e-mail NolumbekaProject@gmail.com for a volunteer form.
