December 15, 2010

Over the past week I have continued my journeying around southwestern Wisconsin for Woodland Indian effigy mounds (build between 600-1000 AD). I have been tracking them on a personal quest since August -- to see them in summer and now in early winter, I feel lucky.

 Today I climbed a huge hill north of a little town on the Wisconsin River called Muscoda.  There was snow up to my hips -- I plowed through, sans snow-shoes... I-phone in hand taking photos and videos.... Finally,  there at the top were some wildly snowy mounds.  There was a sign that said "Frank's Hill" -- along with a tree with some ribbons of various colors tattered from the wind... and then the sign stating that these were American Indian burial grounds from ancient times and nothing should be disturbed.  It was corroboration that I was there!  There is this wonderful effigy mound map printed up with all the directions and descriptions indicated ... I had found them. From that high point, I could see all the really big wooded hills  round about... the Wisconsin River in the distance and the high ridge on the other side that dominates the riverscape. Gorgeous.  And as the sun had set and the light waning, all was bluish darkening winter light. 

I had forgotten how gorgeous winter is.  AS LONG AS YOU'RE DRESSED RIGHT  (a mother's mantra).

Last week I explored the mounds at Devil's Lake -- a gorgeous Thunderbird near the South Shore, a bear (earth spirit), some conical and linear mounds on the North Shore... too beautiful.  The snow was just fresh and slight, so as a result I could see the outlines of the mound, sometimes the still-green grass showing through, defining the edges, sometimes a delicate drifting of the snow accentuated the shapes of those wonderful creations.

Last but not least, I got to see the famous Man-Mound in Man-Mound Park on Man Mound Road, near Baraboo -- the only human-shaped mound  extant in the state.  It is enormous and stunning -- long, long, long arms, and torso... as if walking... head with horns (buffalo shaman headdress or god indicators, not known)... and upper legs, sadly, cut half off by the county highway.  Done long ago, the vandalism tells the tale of the literal cutting off at the knees of one culture by the other.  So sad.

Back to Milwaukee tomorrow -- movies to come!