THE COSMOLOGICAL EXPRESSION OF NATIVE AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING IN THE NORTHEAST

Northeastern Native American ceremonial stone constructions are frequently found in conjunction with geological anomalies, particularly faults. In a society cosmologically focused on entrances into the underworld of the Earth Mother, the ancient study of faults assumed cardinal importance. Earth entrances, including springs, caves, lakes and faults, were doorways through which spirits passed, both into and out of the underworld. Whether rift valleys, mylonite outcrops, silicified faults or terrane boundaries, all these features were studied long ago by Native geologists. Illustrative examples of the sorts of ceremonial constructs found in association with such anomalies will be offered, along with an overview of the cosmological implications of these geological formations. These constructions include stone cairns, chambers, wells, walls, altars and shrines, as well as large complexes containing multiple instances of such structures. Glacial features, including moraine fields and associated kettle holes, also possessed cosmological import and concomitant ceremonial architecture. A thorough understanding of the tectonic history of the Northeast is essential for both locating and then comprehending what our predecessors in this region perceived in our landscape.