Stone maps on the Canadian Shield
In Whiteshell Provincial Park, sprawled across glacially scraped granite bedrock, are hundreds of stone figures called petroforms. These are not carvings or paintings; they are precise arrangements of boulders and stones creating the outlines of animals, people, and geometric shapes. The primary and most accessible site is known as Bannock Point, though the Anishinaabe people have a much older name for it: Manito Ahbee, or "Where the Spirit Sits". Some archaeologists estimate the oldest of these arrangements may date back 1,500 years.
The figures are constructed from stones left behind by the last ice age and are laid directly on the surface, making them exceptionally fragile. The forms include turtles, snakes, thunderbirds, and human figures. These shapes are important to the cosmology of the Anishinaabe (also known as Ojibwe), for whom this is a sacred place for teaching and healing ceremonies. The site is associated with the Midewiwin, or Grand Medicine Society, a spiritual group responsible for preserving traditional knowledge and healing practices. Birchbark scrolls used by the Midewiwin contain similar designs to the petroforms.
Alignments with the cosmos
The Bannock Point petroforms are an astronomical observatory. Higher ground, like the bedrock outcrops where the figures are located, allowed for clear observation of the horizon to mark celestial events. Research confirms that some of the stone alignments track the sunrise and sunset on the summer and winter solstices. This shows an understanding of solar cycles.
The arrangements appear to map the stars. Anishinaabe oral traditions speak of serpent, turtle, and bear patterns in the night sky. Researchers have noted that the layout of the petroforms corresponds to these constellations. For instance, turtle-shaped petroforms tend to point toward the Whiteshell's lakes, while snake petroforms point toward its rivers, creating a functional map of the local hydrology integrated with celestial observations. This complex system of alignments were a mnemonic device for teaching, navigation, and recording history. The site is an active ceremonial location for Indigenous people today.