DiamondLegacyAmerica.org

Mound at "lake ashby - enterprise, Florida"

The Indigenous Mound Honoring Site at “Lake Ashby Park” was such a pleasurable experience and we were gifted every step along the journey. Our research showed there are several archaeological sites located in “Volusia County Florida” and this small inland lake “park” happens to be one of them. We are excited about eventually experiencing all of these wonderful locations and paying homage to the heritage of First Nation People.

The “park” is located between “New Smyrna Beach” on the coast and “Enterprise” on the Welaka (“St Johns”) River. Historians report that likely the site was created by Indigenous People who inhabited the coastal region due to the abundant resources that could support large groups. Also, a “Volusia County” publication states, “The center……destroyed by a dirt road which runs the length of the site, but intact portions of the shell mound remain to the north and south.”

Heading to “Enterprise”, following directional signage and arriving at 5:00 pm, we noticed that we were traveling on a long winding road that split and veered off to “visitor parking” surrounded by woodsy areas. From there, we saw an entrance sign for the trail and started walking the pathway inside the “park” which was gorgeous and delightfully quiet. Fortunately for us, the crowd must have left earlier in the day—it appeared we had the area all to ourselves. The path was easy to traverse and soon we landed at an open area near the lake where a man was sitting alone enjoying the serenity. He shared that we should be aware of a reported bear sighting in the area.

What can we say except…the shoreline setting is very impressive and offers such stunning panoramic views of the lake. We stayed there a few moments admiring the peacefulness. We were amazed to see so many lily pads of varying sizes floating around the lake, and the shimmering water was like a mirror reflecting the cloudy blue skies from its surface—not to mention showing off rows of shrubs and trees grouped cozily along the lakeshore. Additionally, we loved learning about the “park” being noted for birdwatching, alligator viewing, and peering at other life forms—which might help explain the loud, wonderfully rhythmic sounds we heard near the shoreline. Anyhow, we feel richly blessed by experiencing the habitat around the lake and we looked forward to seeing the rest of the “park”.

From the shoreline, a path led us on an adventurous journey deeper inside the forest, through a maze of varied and aging palm, pine, cypress, and oak trees. We were briefly entertained by rhythmic sounds similar to those heard earlier; and on several occasions, we encountered golden orb spiders busily spinning their alluring webs near the pathway—of course, we chose to tactfully navigate around them.

Continuing along the trail, we noted marshy areas near a green moss-covered stream that was quite a picturesque view from the boardwalk. As a matter of fact, the entire forest was abundant with natural beauty. From the magnificent trees and plants shedding browned leaves and branches to the interesting green groundcover that sporadically adorned the landscape—we appreciated everything in our presence. Suddenly, we started seeing lots of white sand on the trail, followed by loads of shells on the ground. We documented our findings.

We looked around for more signatures of Indigenous habitation in the area before deciding to exit the “park”.  We found ourselves walking along the other side of the main road that split off towards the “parking lot”. That’s when we again looked down and detected lots of shells and shell fragments on the ground. Our keen observance merited a moment of silent reflection and gratitude.

We were elated with the results of our astonishing journey. We’re thankful for every opportunity to honor the legacy of First Nation People in America and to share our journey with you. We hope you will create your own experiences by visiting this site.

And following is a video description of an Indigenous Mound Honoring Site in Enterprise, Florida