St. Aspinquid

St. Aspinquid. . , Marker 1: , Local folklore recounts the story of St. Aspinquid, as an Algonquin leader who converted to Christianity and preached for peace between European settlers and native tribes during the conflicts of the 17th century. Over the years, oral tradition has created many story lines that talk of the ultimate demise of St. Aspinquid in the Mt. Agamenticus area. , One such story included an elaborate burial and celebration to honor his saintly qualities. The story was perpetuated in the 19th century as a romantic enticement to tourists who imitated a native tradition of placing a palm-sized rock on the summit in memory of St. Aspinquid and his struggle for peace. Over time these rocks accumulated to form a significant pile. , Though the rock pile has been moved several times throughout the history of Mt. Agamenticus, the tradition persists for Native Americans and continues to inspire a spiritual and reverent homage for the man who crossed cultures to bring peoples together., Marker 2: , The Native Americans of the Northeast believed the natural landscape was filled with spirits and supernatural forces. Their culture and survival was determined by the way they balanced both their physical and spiritual worlds through prayers, songs, and ceremonies., Some ceremonies required the construction of special structures made from stone. Many of them can still be seen today throughout the northeastern United States. These structures include cairns, chambers, niches, split stones, or pedestal or perched boulders., Some cairns were created to honor a past event or an important person. Though this is not a burial site, the original mound at Mt. Agamenticus may have been built to replicate a traditional Native American grave. Native American carry palm-sized stones from their homes to sites like this as a spiritual offering, to pay respect to their ancestors, or in memory of the land their ancestors once occupied., Please be respectful of this area and our leave no trace policies by not disturbing this site. Adding or removing rocks or any other material in the Mt. Agamenticus region is not permitted.