The Land
We acknowledge that Roots to Sky Sanctuary is housed on sacred Shawandassee Tula and Massawomeck land.
Shawandassee Tula land was stewarded by members of the Shawnee tribe, while Massawomeck land was stewarded by members of the Massawomeck tribe, part of the Iroquois Nation.
We recognize the elders of the past, present and emerging.
We are heart-based humans of different origins humbly uniting to decolonize our relationship to land.
Roots to Sky Sanctuary spans 125 pristine acres of agricultural fields, mature forests, and flowing springs, located in the secluded Backbone Mountain Range at the southern tip of Western Maryland. The land is a stone’s throw from the headwaters of the north branch of the Potomac River and is situated 3 hours from Washington DC, near the Eastern Continental Divide in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains. Before European settlers, these mountains were migratory routes for the Cherokee, Iroquois, Delaware, as well as dwelling places for villages of Massawomeck and other Monongahela Culture indigenous groups.
The property is just north of two of the largest and most remote wilderness areas in the Mid Atlantic — the Monongahela National Forest and George Washington National Forest.
Roots to Sky Sanctuary is housed in Oakland, Maryland, which is on the sacred, ancestral territory of the Shawandassee Tula and Massawomeck peoples. Shawandassee Tula land was stewarded by the Youghiogheny of the Shawnee tribe, while Massawomeck land was stewarded by members of the Massawomeck tribe, part of the Iroquois Nation. We recognize the elders of the past, present, and emerging and reflect on the longstanding history and legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that allow Roots to Sky Sanctuary to be present on the land. We acknowledge that colonialism is a current, ongoing process, and we are mindful of our participation. Roots to Sky Sanctuary is committed to continual reflection and action to hold ourselves accountable to and be in alignment with Indigenous peoples struggle. We commit ourselves to listen to, promote and serve their voices.
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The Sanctuary acreage was originally settled in the 1840s by German settlers. Since then, it has been used for farming, orchards, a Horticulturist’s growing operation for hosta plants, a Christmas tree farm, a hunter’s retreat, and a family home for foster children.
Mineral springs have provided pristine water to the property for decades, with multiple old functional spring houses still standing around the property. The springs provide pure delicious cleansing well water to all the residents of the land.
The surrounding area, like much of Western Maryland and West Virginia, was extracted for its coal and lumber for decades. Most of the coal mining activity has ceased in the area, however the timber companies are still quite active.
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Over at the Sanctuary the leaves 🍁 have been turning and falling to the ground. Here is a view of the Heart House from the front of the pond. The Heart House can sleep up to twenty-two people in beds. This is the space where we host many guests and groups for our dynamic fellowship programming. If you are looking for a venue to host an upcoming event, retreat, or training we can send you more information. Hit us with a DM!
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On indigenous people’s day we remembers Falling in love and being again in right relationship with the air, water, fire, earth, and ether. In eternal gratitude to the land beneath our feet.
The Earth we steward at Roots to Sky is at the mouth of Patawomeck and the Seneca Rocks is the traditional unceded land of the Shawandasse Tula people. The name means Southwind Earth in the Algonquin language.
Our circle gets tighter as we make new relatives and weave in our old ones here at Roots to Sky Sanctuary. Listening to Mother Earth as she whispers.
#indigenousland #fourdirections #medicinewheel #heartspace #landjustice #landback #peacemaking #listening #connections
#Reflecting back on some of the wonderful course collaborations with @jhaferd from Spring 2022. Thanks to the students at City College @spitzerschool_ccny, the incredible team @rootstoskysanctuary, for the ongoing work of “Restorying the Potomac”, which began a year ago with the Sp ‘22 studio.
During the three day site visit, undergraduate design students worked to bring undervalued stories of this land to life.
Stay tuned for more photos, and updates from the output of the RTP Fellows!
#Repost @jhaferd
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RESTORYING THE POTOMAC, PART 1
Faculty : JEROME HAFERD @jhaferd
Restoring the Potomac is a land-based research, restorying, exhibition and ‘re-monumenting’ project being undertaken in collaboration with the Roots to Sky Collective in the Appalachian Mountains. The project seeks to generate new forms of living archive, activism and interpretive practice connecting and transecting the modern day and pre-colonial Potomac River watershed. The first in a multi-year endeavor, Spring ‘22 advanced studio engaged the Land as a protagonist for design : to produce spatial scholarship and propose architectural interventions of memorialization, cultivation, and stewardship beginning at two critical sites : The Fairfax Stone and the Roots to Sky Sanctuary. This work challenges prevailing modes of architecture, and inspire us to think at the scale of the stone, monument, regional, and planetary.
Jerome Haferd is a licensed architect and educator based in Harlem, NY. He is co-founder of the award-winning design and research practice BRANDT : HAFERD. His writing on archaeology, Blackness, and speculation has recently been published in Log and Project journals. Jerome is assistant professor at CCNY, and conducts course collaborations with Yale, Columbia and elsewhere. He is also a core initiator of Dark Matter U. Jerome received his M. Arch at Yale and his B.S. from Ohio State. He has worked in the offices of OMA/Rem Koolhaas and Bernard Tschumi Architects. BRANDT : HAFERD are 2020 AIA New Practices New York recipients. Haferd was winner of the 2020 Studio Prize (CCNY).
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#Architecture #AdvancedStudio #CCNY #appalachia
#fairfaxstonemonument #potomacriver
In July 2023, Antonio Carassco one of our esteemed Humanities in Place Fellows led a ceremonious weekend for our community. We had nearly 70 people come to sit around the fire, share stories, make music, and heal with the land. These few shots were part of our opening circle ⭕️ in front of the Sanctuary pond.
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#humanities #landstewards #RootsToSky #buildingsanctuary #mellonfoundationfellows #humanitiesinplace #community #growtogether #appalachia #westvirginia #mountainscape #circleup #tendingthefire @xocoyotlantonio
We are ending out an incredible summer of Roots to Sky programming! We couldn’t be more thrilled by the events and retreats, rooted in healing, humanities, regenerative farming, and the arts that we were able to host at the land 🥁
As we prepare for the fall we will be sharing some flashbacks and special moments from 2023. This photo was taken during the opening ceremony and drum invocation for Beauty in the Backyard a creative arts healing retreat that brought over 350 people to the Sanctuary.
We have incredible fellowship programming still coming up in the last few months of the year. Check the link in our bio to learn more about the upcoming events!
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📸 @zoophoriaphotography
Hello! Welcome to the instagram account for the Roots To Sky Sanctuary Family!
We are excited to share our mission and work with you all via this platform.
More soon…!
-RTSS
© 2026 Roots to Sky Sanctuary
Nestled between Thomas, West Virginia
and Oakland, Maryland
Nestled between Thomas, West Virginia
and Oakland, Maryland
