Modern Science Steps In To Revive Ancient Ceremonial Stone Landscapes
On the winter solstice of December 20, 2019, Chief Vincent Mann of the Ramapough Lunaape Munsee Nation Turtle Clan, accompanied by some members of the Turtle Clan, ‘keepers of the pass’, and members of the Overlook Mountain Center, trudged through the deep snow, across a frozen landscape in search of a stone altar, to witness a sunrise ceremony to mark and honor the lengthening of the days, the coming of the light.
Author Glenn Kreisberg recorded the event: “
We arrived at the stone altar, a large split rock with smaller stones filling the void between, created by the split. It is seen in the spiritual context of the Native Americans, as an exit or passageway from the underworld, where the otherworldly reside. The altar serves as a conduit to communicate with the spirit world. It is why we came to this spot on this cold, first day of winter, to witness and participate in the Lenape solstice sunrise ce