Two ancient stone spheres were brought back to Kettle and Stony Point First Nation on the shores of Lake Huron last week. These boulders, known as kettles due to their pot-like shape, hold cultural significance for the Anishinaabek community. According to knowledge keepers, Kettle Point beach is considered the nesting place of the Thunderbird, powerful spirits that provide protection and healing rains in exchange for the safeguarding of their sacred sites, with the kettles symbolizing the Thunderbird eggs.
Christy Bressette, a member of Kettle and Stony Point and vice-provost for Indigenous initiatives at Western University in London, played a crucial role in facilitating the return of the kettles to their rightful place. Bressette emphasized the importance of repatriating sacred items like the Thunderbird eggs to the community.
The homecoming of the kettles was marked by a pipe ceremony and an honor song. Bernard George, speaking at the rematriation ceremony, highlighted the sacred significance of the Thunderbird in Anishnabek culture. Jordan George, Kettle and Stony Point’s language revitalization and communications coordinator, expressed gratitude for the return of the kettles while acknowledging that this was just the beginning of the journey to repatriate other stones taken from their shores.
The kettles are calcite concretions that can crack when stored outside water due to rainwater seeping in through small fractures. Desmond Moser, assistant dean of decolonization in Western’s Faculty of Science, noted the unique composition and age of these kettles, some dating back 370 million years to the Devonian period. Moser and his colleagues were unaware of the cultural significance of the kettles prior to the ceremony, which served as a learning opportunity for scientists.
David Cloud, a knowledge keeper and council member, shared his childhood desire to see Thunderbird eggs returned home, a dream that has now become a reality. The community plans to educate children about these cultural teachings at the local elementary school.
