Council Ring

5. Council Ring. Council Rings are a distinctive feature of various tribal communities in North America. The Council

Ring at UMD, built by faculty and students, was influenced by Danish-American landscape architect Jens Jensen, who designed the one at the Lincoln Memorial Garden. To Jensen, these stone circles were emblematic of the Viking traditions of his Danish ancestors and Native American egalitarianism. When a group sits on these stones in a continuous circle, there is no head-of- table, no hierarchy, just affirmation that all members of the community are equal.