With snow melting, plans for one of the first events of the spring season are getting under way at Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio.
On the weekend of March 20-23, the Serpent Mound Spring Seed and Water Peace Summit will be held, coordinating sacred sites around the world at 1:11 p.m. on Saturday, to bless seeds and water at Serpent Mound.
Contributors and guests from various Native American backgrounds will be coming together to share in promoting peace and to bless water and seeds, officials said.
The weekend is sponsored by the Alternate Universe House of Phacops Center of Learning and Rock Shop in Locust Grove and by the Friends of Serpent Mound.
On Friday there is a full day of Native Teaching at Woodland Altars with Chief Blue Star Eagle (Sherwyn Zephier), and his wife Walks with New Beginnings Women, who are bringing a Peace Pole.
Saturday and Sunday, there will be two days of lectures, teachings, vendors, and blessings at Serpent Mound and on the adjacent property owned by James and Beverly McKenzie, newly-named Soaring Eagle Retreat.
Activities start at 9 am. Local Shawnee East of The River Tribe, led by Chief Stephen “Snow Owl” Bunch and Elder Jim “Great Elk” Waters have joined the event. Bunch will lead the opening drum each morning.
Joseph FireCrow, a Crow Cheyenne, a Grammy Award-nominated and Native American Music Award-winning flute player, will speak at 10:30 am. FireCrow's music was featured on the soundtrack of the Ken Burns documentary Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.
Grandfather Clifford Mahooty, a Zuni elder, will discuss Zuni prophecies, petroglyphs, kachinas, and the passing down of sacred knowledge and spiritual system to the Zuni youth, after 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Activities conclude Monday, at Fort Ancient State Memorial with a day full of teachings, starting at 11 a.m., led by Chief Golden Light Eagle.
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