Circle of Life

The Dakota and Ojibwa people believed that the confluence of two great rivers was a sacred place. The Point served as an encampment and gathering place for several tribes, and as a meeting place to form hunting parties going north into the game-rich white pine forests on the upper Rum River. These encampments took the form of a circle. The Dakota believed that the circles symbolized the universe, within which all elements are contained and have equal status. The sacred campfire circle shaped spirituality, tribal government, community life, family relationships, and social interaction, and these values were expressed in songs and dances around the sacred circle.

Anoka, Minnesota · United States