Sandisfield’s Ceremonial Stone Landscapes: Slide-talk by Ron Bernard

“A ceremonial stone landscape is a series of intricately crafted structures — rock walls, piles, and cairns (Manitou Hassanash in the Algonquian language) — that Indigenous peoples and those committed to protecting the site consider a sacred space. They are an excellent example of what the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., a federation of more than two dozen federally recognized tribes, have named “prayers in stone,” constructed for their creators to connect with Mother Earth and the spirit world. ” – From an article on the Scenic Hudson website.

Local historian Ron Bernard will give a slide show and talk on the CSLs he believes he has found in Sandisfield, and will help us learn to tell the difference between stone walls or just piles of stones and CSLs.

If you want some backgroubd before Ron’s talk, see this article Connnecting With the Valley’s Indigenous-Spirited Ceremonial Stone Landscapes by Reed Sparling,  a great introduction to CSLs. These are in Hudson County, New York.