Peace poles planted in Hancock
Mary Babcock, City Manager, and the Hancock City Council are eager to represent the City of Hancock as an International City of Peace. Attending many of the meetings with the local interfaith group, Keweenaw Faiths United, they moved forward with purchasing two Peace poles. One was placed right at the entrance to the Hancock Campground, which displays the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in English, Braille, French, Croatian and Italian. The other was placed at the Labyrinth near the Ramada, displaying those words in English, Finnish, Ojibwa, Irish (Gaelic), and has a Braille plaque as well.
The Peace pole by the Labyrinth in Hancock, shows the English and Ojibwemowin prayers of peace. Photo by Miriam Pickens.
They selected those languages to honor the early settlers of this area. There are plans for a set of Peace poles in Houghton as well.
There will be a dedication on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace, observed around the world, as declared by the United Nations. Hancock and Houghton became International Cities of Peace last fall, with a mission to continue to be a welcoming community and to strive to do more.
Linda Belote (left) and Miriam Pickens carry Cities of Peace banners for Houghton and Hancock in the Bridgefest 2022 parade. Photo by Joshua Vissers.