The public is invited to attend an Equinox Extragavanza at the Great Circle Earthworks from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 21. The event will include the unveiling of a sculpture by carver Bill Shippen, a Native American ceremony, free food, and tours of the Great Circle, Native American Heritage Garden, and the Great Circle Museum. There also will be craft opportunities and throwing of the atlatl.
Shippen carved the sculpture of an American Indian man wearing a bearskin from a fallen Maple tree near the Great Circle. Mark Welsh and others of the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO) will lead the Native American ceremony. The Native American Heritage Garden was created by 5th graders from Miller Elementary School in 2009.
The equinox occurs in the spring and the fall each year; in the fall, both day and the night last the same amount of time, because the sun is shining directly on the equator and sets directly in the west. This is a time of year when we think about balance in our lives, because of the balance between light and dark, said Carol Welsh, director of NAICCO. It is also harvest time, so were thankful for the blessings in our lives. Students, faculty and staff of The Ohio State University at Newark plan to attend the event, which will follow Convocation, taking place earlier that day with Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma as speaker. Chief Wallace is the first woman in Tribal history to be elected to her position. Convocation takes place on campus at 11 a.m.
Parking is limited at the Great Circle, which is located at 455 Hebron Road, state Route 79, Heath, Ohio, 43056. Parties interested in utilizing campus transportation to the site should contact Holly Mason, assistant director of student life, at 740-366-9172 or [email protected].
