Original Petition / Check below for updates

Dear Ms. Hoppa and Mr. Silver,

As signers of this petition, we are asking you to reconsider your decision to remove the Circle, an Indigenous Sacred Hoop, from its location of more than ten years at The Clove in Inwood Hill Park.

The Circle is a most loved sacred site. A marker of Native presence, religion, and stewardship of the land and forest that is now Inwood Hill Park. As such, it is used by Natives and Non-Natives alike, people of the community and beyond, who find in the Circle a sacred spot to pray, meditate, and commune with Mother Earth (nature) in a serene and natural setting. There have been wedding vows said and renewed at the Circle and the ashes of departed loved ones scattered. The site was cleared by a storm years before the Circle was built in that spot. Only natural materials found on the paths are used with no harm whatsoever to trees, bushes, soil, or the many animals who call the Circle home. From a Native religious perspective, the Circle belongs at the Clove because of its connection to Lenape ancestral burial grounds. From a historical and archaeological perspective, the Circle is located near the midden sites since, as you and the City may know, they mark Native burial grounds. Children love and enjoy the Circle; as do the birds and squirrels, and even the Park Rangers themselves use it as a teaching circle. There’s really no reason to displace the Circle from its current location of more than 10 years, especially in light of the worrisome nature of the 311 complaint call, which prompted the violent attacks on the Circle on July 4, 2020, January 6, 2021, and January 19th, 2021. We ask you to consider the history, love, and religious significance that the Circle represents for so many in the community and beyond. We urge you to consider making the Circle, as is, a permanent feature of Inwood Hill Park at its current Clove location by placing a sign (where the current Clove sign is outside of the sacred ground of the Circle) explaining its significance and meaning. At this juncture of human history, when we find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic, we all need the Circle more than ever. We count on your conscience to help you be on the right side of history when making your decision, so you may choose inclusion, recognition, and harmony with Native people and their way of life instead of violence and displacement.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.