Echoes of the Teaching Rocks: Reflections in Beadwork

---

  Located approximately 55 kilometers northeast of Peterborough, Ontario, Petroglyphs Provincial Park is home to Canada's largest known concentration of Indigenous rock carvings. This sacred place, known in Ojibway (Nishnaabe) as Kinoomaagewaabkong — “The Teaching Rocks”, contains more than 900 petroglyphs carved into a single marble outcrop.

Created between 600 and 1100 years ago, the carvings include turtles, snakes, birds, human forms, and many other symbolic figures. These images are understood to carry spiritual and cultural teachings passed down through generations.

This tapestry is not a reproduction of the carvings, but rather a personal reflection inspired by the presence of these ancient images and the enduring connection between land, memory, and spirit.

 For many Indigenous communities, the Teaching Rocks remain a sacred place of learning and reflection. The carvings continue to hold deep cultural and spiritual meaning today.

Visitors can explore the Learning Place Visitor Centre to learn more about the traditions and teachings of the Ojibway (Nishnaabe) people and the importance of protecting this site.

The petroglyphs stand as a bridge between past and present, reminding us that the stories, teachings, and relationships to the land remain alive.

Petroglyphs Provincial Park is a day-use park typically open from mid-May through Thanksgiving weekend. The site is protected within a building designed to preserve the carvings and allow visitors to experience them respectfully.

Photography of the petroglyphs is not permitted in order to respect Indigenous beliefs and to protect the integrity of the carvings.

Visitors are encouraged to approach the site quietly and respectfully, recognizing that the teachings carried in the stone are part of a living cultural heritage.