Special Blessing at Hunter Site, Claremont NH 19 Sept 2024
This day turned out to be a very special ceremony. We had 11 honored guests attending, Three Koasek members; Chief/Elder Paul Bunnell, War Chief David Nepveu and Rick Herrin. Our good friends, Sheila Williams, Nelia Sargent, Karlaine Livingston, Reb Mackenzie and Jim Contois, Jenne Wright, and Duncan U. Hunter Jr, son of original land owner Duncan U. Hunter Sr. We were also very honored to have Professor of Anthropology Robert G. Goodby Ph.D of Franklin Pierce University attending our short ceremony. His knowledge and expertise is beyond compare in our Abenaki archeological history. He gave a very good talk on the site and his insight of Howard R. Sargent, the site archeologist. One important fact Dr. Goodby brought up was that they discovered a corn seed which gave them the item to carbon date that established the site age. This find also establishes a point in ancient time that we had our corn which was a Mexican source as all corn are. The actual blessing and smudging ceremony with song and drums were not recorded as this is a sacred practice, but before and after photos are here and allowed.
In AD 1300, our Connecticut River ancestors along with some possible New York Iroquois who lived together in the Claremont NH area where the Sugar and Connecticut Rivers meet. The Connecticut River provided much intercourse between tribes because fishing and farming was the best source along these waters. This was the Late Woodland period in our history. Archaeologist, Howard Sargent of Franklin Pierce College identified this site in 1952 and began his work there in 1967- 1970. They went as deep as 11 feet to find human remains and artifacts all at different layers and time periods. This river area was travelled by many groups but it is traditionally the historic homeland of the Abenaki that goes back to the Late Archaic periods of 4000-2000 B.C.. But modern findings have establish our people at Keene going back to nearly 13,000 years. The Hunter Dig Site is a Registered U.S. National Historic Site (#76000222 on 7 June 1976) The Hunter Site at Claremont is a very special location to our nation as it is only 3 miles from our future Abenaki Cultural and Nature Preserve center on Elm Street in Claremont, and 2 miles from our Twistback Road Nature Preserve across from the Sugar River in Claremont, and 5 miles from our future farmland property off River Road near the Connecticut River in Claremont.
