January 1, 2025
I'm Looking for a Spiritual Directorwith Rolling Ridge staff
Before there was Rolling Ridge, North Andover, or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, generations of people known as the Pennacook tribal nation, an Algonquian-speaking tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy belonged to this land and considered it their home.
We invite you to join us as we recognize this history on Saturday, September 24th from 10-12:30 pm with an official land acknowledgement in partnership with the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People and the North Andover Historical Society. Paul and Denise Pouliot, chief speakers of the Cowasuck, will be the primary presenters, with Brian Howard of the Historical Society and Lawrence Jay of Rolling Ridge also featured.
Along with the Land Acknowledgement and historical presentations about the land, Rolling Ridge will also announce the new name for the island off our peninsula in Lake Cochichewick. ("Cochichewick" is Algonquian for "place of the great cascades"). According to local historians, the island off of the Rolling Ridge peninsula does not have a name. As part of our new land acknowledgement, we are going to change that.
For indigenous people, the tradition of naming is rooted in the description or purpose of the land that emerges from the community. As part of our community, you are invited to help us select a name for our island. The two options for voting come from Paul and Denise Pouliot and are in the Alogonquian dialect. CHOICES ARE:
Vote when registering for this event or vote on a separate ballot here. The new name for the island will be announced on Saturday, September 24th and will become part of Rolling Ridge's intent to retell our history honestly and to honor the indigenous peoples still connected to this land.
Following our Land Acknowledgement, presentations, and island naming, you are invited to join us for a barbecue lunch (12:30-1:30 pm) along with a special presentation (2:00-4:00 pm) by Diane Wilson, author of The Seed Keeper, an award winning novel telling of a Dakhóta family’s struggle to preserve their way of life.
Registration is required for lunch and the Diane Wilson presentation. For more information, click here.
Although there is no fee for this program, your generous donations to this event will be given directly to COWASS North America which supports the work of Paul and Denise in sharing about the history of the Indigenous People of New England and the efforts of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People.One of their current efforts is to raise funds to purchase their tribal graveyard that is slated for a condo development.