Native Americans began carving images into stone ledges beginning about 3,000 years ago. These petroglyphs, probably the work of shamans, were used as metaphors of the spirit quest or to help memorize chants. Because the petroglyphs had powerful spiritual qualities, they were avoided by the uninitiated. Until now, this rich cultural heritage of the Native Americans in Maine was not available to the public. This film shows many examples of the petroglyphs and their settings, as well as the actual wildlife that is often depicted in the images. It presents explanations and ideas about what the images mean and how they changed as the ideas of the people who made them changed.
47 minutes
47 minutes