Gale Courey Toensing
Descendants of the Pennecook Tribe of the Eastern Abenaki Nation in southern Maine and northern New Hampshire have gathered for generations at this pile of stones on top of Mount Agamenticus in York, Maine, to worship and perform ceremonies. The site is held in reverence as a sacred place. Now the coordinator of the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region says St. Aspinquid “never existed” and wants to undertake a “cleaning up” project by moving the stones away from the summit. A sign will be erected there that does not mark the site as a memorial to or burial site of Passaconway, but instead refers to “the legend.”
Passaconaway’s descendants struggle to protect sacred site
By
Gale Courey Toensing
Story Published:
Sep 26, 2008
Story Updated:
Sep 26, 2008
YORK, Maine – When oral tradition and spiritual practice come up against the dominant society’s ideas about property rights and land use, who gets to decide what is historical fact, what is legend and what is sacred?
In York, a pristine southern Maine town of ocean-view mansions and a bustling summer tourist trade, that dilemma is playing out between the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region – a nonprofit conservation coalition of state, town, landowners and environmental organizations – and a small group of local American Indians who are trying to protect their sacred site on Mount Agamenticus.
The group is led by Brian Spirit Bear Michaud, Pennacook/Micmac, who complained last summer to Robin Stanley, coordinator of the conservation region, and to the town manager about the removal of stones from a mound at the mountain’s summit that memorializes 17th century Pennacook Chief Sachem Passaconaway.
Descendants of the Pennacook, an Eastern Abenaki Nation tribe in southern coastal Maine and northern New Hampshire, have gathered for hundreds of years at this stone mound for prayer and ceremonies. Michaud told Indian Country Today. They traditionally add a “prayer stone” to the pile.
The mound pays homage to St. Aspinquid, Passaconaway’s Christian name. The Pennacooks believe that Passaconaway (“Son of the Bear”) banished an evil spirit from the mountain and was buried there.
Last summer, the conservation region and town removed stones from the mound and used them to border a garden of shrubs and other plantings.
Now Stanley says St. Aspinquid “never existed” and the rock pile should be moved.
“The more research I conduct, the more I am convinced that St. Aspinquid is not the same as Passaconaway and that St. Aspinquid never existed,” Stanley wrote in a report to the town.
The sacred site needs to be “cleaned up” because of the stone “overflow” that violates the conservation region’s “Leave No Trace” policy, Stanley said in the report. She recommends relocating the stone’s away from the summit and erecting a sign that “will not suggest that St. Aspinquid is buried at the mountain, nor will the pile be a designated memorial to him. Rather, a new sign will attempt to inform visitors of the St. Aspinquid legend and how the folklore itself has become a part of Mt. A’s history.”
Before moving forward, Stanley wants everything formally authorized.
“I would like it [the legend of St. Aspinquid, the gravesite, the memorial, and/or the sacred status of the mountain itself] legitimized/validated. I believe this should be the responsibility of Brian [Michaud] and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (?). I would like the historical certificate/stamp of approval. Any research, including archaeological digs, should be at their expense.”
Two years ago, Michaud complained to Stanley about the original sign being removed.
Michael Sullivan, the town’s director of Parks and Recreation, said that Stanley’s recommendations will be presented to the town for approval. The town bought Mount Agamenticus in the early 1980s.
He said the town “has never really authorized any kind of memorial,” and he believes that the stone pile only began in the early 1980s when a sign was erected describing the “legend” of St. Aspinquid.
“That’s when people started to bring stones and the pile grew tremendously quickly.”
Sullivan acknowledged the difference of opinion between Michaud and Stanley, but he said the steering committee is “wide open” to maintain a stone pile somewhere on the mountain. The important thing is that it is “managed.”
Stanley’s management plan is in her report: the larger rocks will be used to form a border around the prayer stones and any “overflow” stones will be removed; American Indians “are encouraged to offer input” on the new site and on which rocks are moved, and they can help move them, but the steering committee has the “final determination”; if the rocks that were removed from the mound last summer and used as garden borders are removed from the garden borders and if no “official recognition” of the site is issued by April 1, 2009, the conservation region will not be required “to maintain any rocks, etc., at any site.”
“I think they’re saying that they respect the legend. Given the fact that the Mt. A steering committee will let the pile happen somewhere on the mountain, I think that means the steering committee is admitting that you can’t prove it; so to put the whole burden of proof on the Native Americans – I don’t know if that’s proper,” Sullivan said.
The proper thing is to respect other people’s right to practice their religion, Michaud said.
“I have suffered great disrespect and discrimination against me by the aforementioned people. They have done this deliberately because I defend my right to practice my faith/spirituality or religion, as they may deem it, in a place that I have been brought up at all of my 52 years. I was even wed atop the summit in 1999.”
The historical record, even among non-Natives, goes back hundreds of years.
“It is well established that the town of York stands on the ancient lands of the Pennacook People, specifically, the Accominta Clan of the Pennacooks, which is where the name ‘Agamenticus’ comes from,” he said.
“People bring stones to the grave in honor of a great Native American and they do so with the idea of respect. The town of York needs to respect everyone’s religious/cultural and spiritual background and stop disturbing the prayer stones left to honor the ancestors. This site should not be moved; it should be protected and marked properly. Local natives do not go to cemeteries and steal grave stones to make flower gardens.
“Plain and simply put, why is York allowing a couple of employees to make decisions for the whole community?”
Sunday, Dec 6 at 10:55 PM mark hanson hight wrote ...
MY FAMILY HAS A STORY THAT WE ARE PART PENNECOOK. AS SUCH I SUPPORT YOU TOTALLY. LEGENDS ARE A WHITE MANS WAY OF SAYING OUR VERBAL HISTORY IS NOT TRUE. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT AGREE SHOULD FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO BECAUSE IT WOULD SEEM THEY HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR ON THEIR HANDS. IT IS OUR BUSINESS AND NO ON ELSES WHAT WE BELIEVE.
33216619Wednesday, Apr 22 at 7:24 AM Robert Kunnaway Turner wrote ...
I'm a Pennacook/Scottish decentdent I live here in Pennacook country over around the Lakes Region, and Brian if you need any help please feel free to get in touch with me on this matter. Robert Kunnaway Turner 380 Mile Hill Rd. Apt.14 Laconia, NH. 03246 kunnawaynh@hotmail.com I'm also of the Meti's Nation of North America
19996751Tuesday, Dec 2 at 11:27 PM Kennny wrote ...
Stay the course and GOD does bless you. Brian you are an inspiration to me as well as others. Fight for all native AMERICANS
13074739Thursday, Oct 16 at 8:09 PM Robin wrote ...
Good for you Brian, stand tall for your rights. Lots of people support you !!!!
9335214Saturday, Oct 4 at 7:03 PM Fran Rush wrote ...
We should all stand behind Mr. Michaud. Thisis Just another step backwards in the name of progress. The cairn of stones is not in anyone's way and doesn't need to be managed by Ms Stanley....doesn't she have anything legitimate to manage?
8811134Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:33 AM Spiritbear "South Berwick Maine" wrote ...
I traced the so called "Legend" back to the 1750's in Nova Scotia. The people of Nova Scotia celebrated along with the Micmac, a festival about Aspinquid of Agamenticus. This info is found from historical documents that were written by the European settlers of that area. Local writer Sarah Orne Jewett tells about the ancient site atop Mount Agamenticus around 1840. The list goes on as to its existance and it has been honored by both European decendants of this area as well as the Native People.
8797024Friday, Oct 3 at 6:37 AM Clinton Tyree wrote ...
Hmm, the more I read the Bible, the more I am convinced it is a work of pure fiction, but I am strangely not compelled to go Mz Stanley's local church and start dismantling it. I wonder what that says about us both??? I would suggest her actions may also breach Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, I do not ever recall seeing any statute that requires regions to be proven by science to be accepted as a human right!
8757894Thursday, Oct 2 at 11:05 AM Michele, MI wrote ...
In 1978, the 95th Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, which clearly states: "On and after August 11, 1978, it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent rights of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian...including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional sites."
8732449Thursday, Oct 2 at 9:35 AM Anonymous wrote ...
I will sent a letter - hope you will to. They need to be educated! This disrespect should not be tolerated. I pray that you win this battle Mr. Michaud. My respect to you.
8728504Thursday, Oct 2 at 8:57 AM kerry hardy wrote ...
Hopefully it won't be too hard to go over the head of this petty administrator and appeal to the Town of York to leave sacred ground alone. Are Washington's bones under his monument? What about Jefferson, Lincoln? How ridiculous to suggest that archaeologists get to say whether or not land is sacred! Wherever he's buried,Passaconaway was a great chief and a peacekeeper-- at a time when the Natives could have pushed all the invaders into the ocean. Read William Sidis about Passaconaway.
8726754Wednesday, Oct 1 at 5:02 PM Donndez wrote ...
It cannot be debated that there is no written documentation anywhere in any Euro-centric archive regarding the American burial site. The continuing insult to claim that this lack makes the site any less significant provides questions as to the precise motive of those wishing to remove or relocate the site.
8057669Wednesday, Oct 1 at 1:11 PM tina mendoza wrote ...
I am sorry but, who are these people to say that it is legend and it has to be proven? They have the odacity to just deem as they feel is right. There is no respect shown for what Native Americans do or practice, and if they say this is because of what they do out of respect for their ancestors/people, then it is. They honor their ancestors just like other people of culture do, so how do these other people claim this location is not what it is, a sacred place where they gather to show respect?
7675559Tuesday, Sep 30 at 5:56 PM Anonymous wrote ...
In arlington national cemetery the whites have a memorial to John Kennedy they honor the site....George Armstrong Custer has a memorial so why is is when the natives have a sacred place the whites think its ok to destroy it ...
7508954Tuesday, Sep 30 at 5:12 PM Robert Kunnaway Turner; Pennacook wrote ...
This so called legend is true, and stories have been passed down, but the part that he was buried there isn't try cause his bones are in a Mussuem in France that were dug up from his island on the Merrick river.
7505859Monday, Sep 29 at 2:00 AM Matt wrote ...
You can email info@agamenticus, call 207-361-1102 or send a letter to Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program; 186 York Street; York, ME 03909
7439459Sunday, Sep 28 at 4:09 PM curtis "brooks" weed wrote ...
just because a few dont like us surely they can not say this pile of stone isnt in towns planning board It doesnt have to This pile of stone i think goes way beyond the white invasion Im still bitter at ay modern locals can take away sites as this is and destroy a portion of this sacred site My great granmother was born there what town doesnt realize were not a DEAD clan its only uncle sams way to not list because were to few yet i think the elders should keep going an injunction can be put in
7432184Sunday, Sep 28 at 12:41 AM Denise Marie wrote ...
I will pray that you win this battle Mr. Michaud.
7422139Saturday, Sep 27 at 8:06 PM cynthia parris wrote ...
Why is this a problem in the first place for the Native Americans to have an sacred place. Have the town of York took time to understand the culture? or Do they just believe in what the town of York only understands? I think a person/s should know and understand others culture background, then maybe they would better respect others.
7419174Saturday, Sep 27 at 11:35 AM Ret't Coos Chirf Howard Knight wrote ...
The Coos People have always remembered Chief Passaconaway, The Pennacook being out cousins. We believe that the mom-natives have no right to mess with NDN sacred sites. Stanley is out of order and her bounds. Her actions are disrespectful to all NDN people..
7411809Saturday, Sep 27 at 4:05 AM David Meanwell - UK wrote ...
So it's okay for the white folks of York to believe their legends and go to their churches but not the Native people who have a much more ancient "entitlement" to erect shrines and worship? Do I detect a whiff of racism here? If this was,for example, a cairn of stones placed by the local "majority" population to commemorate a local veteran from WW2, Vietnam or Iraq I'm sure it would be a whole different story. More in the long depressing line of discrimination against Native people's beliefs.
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