"I visited the new Chippewa Cultural Center in Lac du Flambeau, near Minocqua
[Wisc] (if that helps), and met Peggy Grinvalsky who is designing the
dioramas and other displays. Peggy is also working with a kids' art program
through the cultural center. Five through 12 year olds are doing remarkable
work in several media. Some work is matted and available for sale. High
school age kids design a very large mural every year, based on Indian motifs.
When I remarked on the high degree of artistic ability apparent in the work of
these children, Peggy said that early exposure to art in the form of family
members doing beadwork seemed to influence them very positively.
Chippewa (or, preferably, Ojibwe) culture contains many familiar characteris-
tics. There are still people making birchbark canoes (but not many). Wild
rice is still harvested. Glass beading on buckskin with floral motifs &
porcupine quilling on birchbark baskets are still highly respected art forms.
Birchbark houses on ironwood frames were called wigwams. Maple sugar is [still
harvested in the early spring. Ojibwe grandmothers make dreamcatchers to
catch happy dreams for children.
Present day people live in modern houses on the reservation. The Lac du
Falmbeau Indian Reservation has a new casino which has provided jobs for some
of the 800 or so people on the reservation. Any substantial income for the
tribe is far in the future, because they will be indebted for many years to
Nevada gambling specialists for providing the training and expertise to run
the facility.
A book on Ojibwe culture was recommended to me, and I in turn recommend it as a
good overview of historical and present day Ojibwe life in this area. Pfaff,
Tim. "Paths of the People: the Ojibwe in the Chippewa Valley". Chippewa
Valley Museum Press, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1993. Paper, 100 pp. including
good biobliography. It is well illustrated w/historical material and contemp.
photographs and covers the history of the people up to the present. If you
order this through your local bookstore, you need to give them this number:
ISBN# 9636191-0-1. You can also order this book for $12.95 incl. mailing
from: Chippewa Museum, P.O. Box 804, Lac du Fambeau, WI 54539.
The Lac du Flambeau Cultural Center sponsors a series of classes in Ojibwe
cultural activities which I would have participated in if I hadn't been
sodden w/ deep-fried wall-eyed pike (actually they were over by the time I
doung out about them). They include fish decoy carving, dream catachers, a
children's workshop in understanding Ojibwe culture, quill work, finger
weaving of yarn bags, beadwork, birchbark baskets, buckskin bags, poetry
writing, moccasins, woodland flute music (a concert), and Ojibwe survival
crafts. All instructors are Ojibwe people. Classes were 2 to 5 hrs long &
geared to the flood of tourists who escape to northern Wisconsin each summer.
However, I was impressed by the quality of the museum & exhibits, & expect
that the classes would meet those standards. Prices are reasonable. If you
are going that direction next summer, you might look into it. Call the cul-
tural center at 715/ 588-3333 -- I'm sure there is a mailing list."
Notes from lyn: If this sounds a little bit "overly informational" please
realize that MAPOM's membership is mostly native Californian's ... and "we
Californians" are not very knowledgeable about anything east of the great
divide ... it a little geocentric of us, but when you've "got it all" why
do east" seems to be the motto of those of us born here ... even if your
forefathers are from Wisc, NH, Sask., Montana, N. Dakota, etc.... hence, an
occasional identity crisis amongst NE tribes born on the west coast....
If any of you want information on MAPOM, itself, or a list of their classes
in "old ways" techniques .... deer hide tanning, Pomo music & dance, story
telling w/renown storyteller Ane Rovetta, Clam Disc Beads & Abalone Orna-
ments (Oct. 16), Sinew Backed Bow Making (10/23 & 10/24), Adv. Tracking on
Oct. 30, etc.... you may call Sylvia at 415/ 479-3281 or write to them
at 9 Mt. Tenaya Ct., San Rafael, CA 94903. ... Sylvia has also been "deeply
entrenched" in the new project for "Fed Recognition" of the Federated Coast
Miwok .. mostly by descendants of Bodega & Tomales Coast Miwok people,
although other groups are also represented... If you wish to help their
struggle, your donation can help bridge the gap until nonprofit status is
achieved and grants can be sought. Even postage money is a problem at this
time. As the list of Coast MiWok descendants grows, more and more people
need to receive mailings. Please send donations to:
Federated Coast Miwok, P.O. Box 481, Novato, CA 94947.
Also, if you or people you know have any Coast Miwok ancestry, get in touch
with the FCM. Number will be important to the Fed. Recog. process. Even
if you don't need the services mentioned, your support is needed.... they
hope that Federal recognition will be accomplished in 2 or 3 years ... Mazel
tov!.
All for now .... whew!
lyn
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"We did not weave the web of life. We | Lyn Dearborn
are merely a strand in it. Whatever | Naturalist/Person
we do to the web, we do to ourselves" | dearborn@anchor.esd.sgi.com
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