My take on this is that John Eliot was encouraging Indians to turn existing stone rows into the legal fences defined by the early colonists that justified and signified ownership of land, improved the land in the eyes of English Law. The multi-purpose stone rows that were created by Indians were not only practical devices for land management of resource zones but also contained elements of Ceremonialism, a sacredness and spirituality shown by the careful and artistic placement of the stones, the shapes of the rows themselves, Great Serpent Effigies, sort of as if the whole Ethnographic Cultural Landscape was a big piece of religious architecture, protected by the spirit beings.
The tooles were the metal axes and wedges used to split rails, I'm guessing, the skills the ability to make "cross and rail" fences and the heart similar to a response to the suggestion that your combination open air stonework cathedral and fire tended rock gardens would make a good enclosures for livestock...
“Hassanamesit Woods is now a tract of land set aside for
hiking trails and outdoor education; however it was once part of a large 10,000
acre area of land inhabited by the Hassanamisco band of Nipmuc. In 1654,
“Hassanamesit” or “land of the small stones” (Dough ton 1997) became the third
of several praying towns founded by John Eliot to propagate the gospel…
These families were expected to embrace English styles of land ownership in severalty, and “improve” their parcels in such a way that was satisfactory to the Trustees by clearing, fencing, or altering the natural landscape…
map?
Also in 1729, John Hazelton of Sutton agreed to lease 2
meadows that belonged to Sarah and Peter. He paid the Trustees, “for the use of
the said Peter and his Squaw Twenty Shillings per Annum for four years” (Earle
Papers: Octavo Vol. 1) under the terms that the Trustees would make allowances
should Peter care to “improve any part of the grass for his own use” (Earle
Papers: Octavo Vol. 1). This agreement, like many others made at the same time
with other Native proprietors at Hassanamesit, included the installation of a
“good four rail fence” which, at the end of the four-year term, would be left
in good condition for the future use of the owner. Interestingly, the same John
Hazelton proposed a similar deal with Christian Misco for the use of her meadow
and orchard yard. He proposed to fence the area, care for the apple trees, and
yield to Misco’s right to any apples, “as she shall have occasion to use for
her own eating” (Earle Papers: Octavo Vol. 1)…
http://www.fiskecenter.umb.edu/Hassamenesit%20Web/Site%20History%20for%20Webpage.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment