Sunday, August
5 – This morning came early—and cool at 55◦. As I previously mentioned, this was the
Sunday for the outdoor worship service for the Fisherman’s Picnic. We needed to
leave Grand Portage by 7:20 AM to get to Grand Marais by 8:00 to pack and load equipment
for transport to the harbor. (Saw a huge
doe by the side of the highway on the way to town, and once we got in town saw
another…sorta like Northern Exposure!) The sun was shining brightly, but the
winds were gusting almost continuously at 20+ mph. Tough to keep music on the
stands, let alone keep the music stands in an upright position! (Bring on the clothes pins and duct tape!!) By
9:30 the temps had risen
to a comfortable 68◦, but the winds were unrelenting. About 150
folks were at the service, plus dogs in all sizes, breeds, and levels of
obedience.
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| Worship team, Cornerstone Baptist Church, plus me |
We had time after the service and
before the Fisherman’s Picnic parade at 1 PM, for breakfast at the Blue Water Café.
We still had time to kill after eating so we browsed through the down town
shops and booths set up by local vendors. All streets were closed to accommodate
them, selling everything from tie-dyed clothing to wildlife photos and jewelry;
pottery to fishing gear and soaps. (Grand Marais has become quite a haven for artisans
over the years.) All during the 4-day celebration various contests were held,
too: log rolling, fishing, dragon boat races, tennis matches, softball games,
bingo, to name just a few. In addition there was live music continuously, from blues,
jazz, and rock to bagpipes and folk. (Saturday night there was a boat parade in
the harbor followed by fireworks over the water; we didn’t go down to Grand
Marais for that.)
While we were waiting for the parade
to begin, I looked up and saw my cousin Karyn, (from International Falls, MN) whom
I hadn’t seen in a few years. She was there with her parents (my mom’s youngest
brother Wally and his wife Gail, also from International Falls), her brother Ryan
and his girlfriend, and her sister Ashton and her husband and 6 month old son.
Good to see them all again.
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| Karyn (cousin) and Wally (her dad, my uncle) |
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| Ryan and Michelle |
Tuesday, August 7 – We revisited the Grand
Portage Heritage Center, to again see the video done in tribute to the Ojibwe Nation.
Wednesday, August 8 – I refused to
compromise! My KitchenAid mixer came with me! I make chocolate chip cookies in
the morning—YUM! About ½ of RV park lost
power that afternoon due to a broken underground line, so we depended on the
trailer’s battery power and propane. Interesting how something like this brings
everyone out to share some common and some not so common stories. Crazy.
Thursday, August 8 – Rain started
about midnight, continuing until noon, a steady downpour…unbelievable. Power still
not restored, so we headed for Grand Marais to stock up on groceries. Spent
time at the library as well (for internet!), and had one of our trailer propane tanks filled “just
in case” the power was still out, so we would have ample hot water and heat if
needed. Thankfully the power had been restored by the time we returned around
3:30, and the rain had stopped. Once the storm had moved off across Lake
Superior, there was nothing by a big blue sky and fluffy white clouds. We
celebrated with a fresh lake trout dinner. YUM!
Friday August 10 through Sunday,
August 12 – The annual Rendezvous Days and Traditional Powwow in Grand Portage! (Following taken from the Grand Portage National Monument 20120 Rendezvous Program)
“Imagine
it’s 1797. Canoe brigades arrive loaded with literally tons of cloth, kettles,
guns and food, manned by hearty voyageurs, after a six-week voyage from
Montreal, a thousand miles to the east. Others arrive from as far away as
British Columbia, transporting canoe-loads of furs in 90-pound bundles, taking
equally as long. The final link in this global trade system is a rocky, 8 ½ mile
footpath known as the Grand Portage. At its trailhead is the home of the
British-owned North West Company which is having one of its most profitable years.
This annual gathering is essential to its business. This Rendezvous also brings
together families and friends to renew old ties. The native Ojibwe, voyageurs,
agents, and company partners gather to transfer the company’s goods, to conduct
business, and to celebrate their good fortune.”
All during this weekend, Grand Portage
was host to hundreds of Ojibwe, as well as others, gathering to celebrate. The Stockade,
reconstructed buildings and historic encampment were alive with participants in
period dress, at the ready to answer questions and help explain the relationship
between Grand Portage and the fur trade, and the 18th Century life of fur
traders, clerks and native Ojibwe. Historic cooking and baking was done in the
Stockade kitchen, and samples were offered. Workshops were offered for
everyone, to help bring to life the day-to-day lives of the people back then,
from moccasin making and tin-smithing, to basic basket weaving and cornhusk
dolls, Scottish music and haggis* making.
*Haggis
(traditional Scottish fare) is a “poor man’s stew”, containing the discarded
parts of a sheep (from the rich man’s table) including the heart, liver, lungs,
and other internal organs, minced with onion, oats, suet, spices and salt, and
mixed with stock, traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach and simmered
for approximately three hours; typically served with “neeps (turnips) and
tatties (potatoes).”
The Powwow was held in the Powwow
Grounds (arena). Although the Powwow
didn’t exist 70 years ago, it has become a celebration of culture and customs. Dancers, who used to parade into army forts in
tribal war regalia, now parade into the powwow arena in dance regalia for a
grand entry in recognition of their tribal bands. There is no music, other than
the beat of the drum which signifies the heartbeat of the Ojibwe, and the chanting
of the singers/drummers.
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| Grand Portage Stonebridge Singers (drummers) |
The drum is regarded as a living
being, thus cared for as if it were an important personage commanding respect
and requiring attention to its physical needs. It has its own bed, cared for “for
the sake of God: appreciate, take care of that Drum good, because that’s his
power. That’s why (we) decorate that Drum, make it look pretty, clean, because
it is from God.”**
**The
Ojibwa Dance Drum: Its History and Construction, By Thomas Vennum
It was so cool to see tradition and
culture being passed on to, and accepted by the children and teens. It’s taught
at the elementary level in the local school, and reinforced in the homes. Dads and grandpas
teach the boys and moms and grandmas teach the girls. Loved watching them dance together.
Here are a few photos of the "Regalia" seen at the Powwow.
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| Best (we thought) male dancer |
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| Notice the eagle head in the center of his bustle. |
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Billy Blackwell, local Shaman.
(I went to elementary and jr. high school with him.) |
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| Jr. Ambassadors of the Ojibwe Nation |
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| Jody and Eric |
We met Jody and Eric from Leech Lake,
who were in the trailer behind us, and here to participate in the Powwow. They
explained a lot about the regalia of the participants, and specifically the use
of eagle feathers. She dances with two gold eagle feathers, received after
waiting for 3 years to receive them. Jody and Eric said that when dancing with
eagle feathers, they always carry appropriate paperwork with them, to validate having
the feathers in their position, and thus eliminating the risk of have the
feathers confiscated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used eagle
feathers for religious and cultural purposes, including healing, marriage, and
naming ceremonies. As a result of years of habitat loss from urbanization,
exposure to chemicals used in agriculture and animal husbandry, and poaching,
the populations of eagles declined by an alarming rate. In order to protect
these birds, the United States Congress passed the Bald Eagle
Protection Act in 1940. The Act was amended in 1962 to include
protection for golden eagles. The Bald Eagle Protection Act prohibits the take,
transport, sale, barter, trade, import and export, and possession of eagles,
making it illegal for anyone to collect eagles and eagle parts without a
permit.
In recognition of the significance
of eagle feathers to Native Americans, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
established the National Eagle Repository in the early 1970's to provide
Native Americans with the feathers of golden and bald eagles needed for
ceremonial purposes. The National Eagle Repository is located at the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver, Colorado.
The
Repository serves as a collection point for dead eagles. Most of the dead
golden and bald eagles received have been salvaged by State and Federal
wildlife personnel. Many of these birds have died as a result of electrocution,
vehicle collisions, unlawful shooting and trapping, or from natural causes.
When eagles are received at the Repository, the condition of each eagle and its
feathers is noted, and the species and age is recorded. If part of the bird is
missing, damaged or broken, FWS staff may add replacement parts from another
bird to make it complete. The bird is then stored in a freezer until it is
ready to be shipped to the recipient, usually within 3-5 days.
Permits
to obtain eagles or eagle parts are issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Only enrolled members of a Federally recognized tribe can obtain a permit. The
permit authorizes the recipient to receive and possess eagle feathers from the
Repository for religious purposes.
On
the application, it must be specified whether a golden or bald eagle, a mature
or immature bird, a whole bird or specific parts, or have no preference. (Other
information is also required by the Repository, pertinent to the applicant to
keep on file.)
Because
of the large demand and limited supply, each applicant can apply for only one
whole eagle or specific parts equivalent to one bird (i.e., two wings, one
tail, two talons) at a time. Once the request has been filled, one may reapply
to receive another eagle. Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served
basis. Currently, there are over 4,000 people on the waiting list for
approximately 900 eagles the Repository receives each year. Applicants can
expect to wait approximately 2 1/2 years for an order to be filled.
Feathers
or parts of bald or golden eagles and other migratory birds may NOT be sold,
purchased, bartered or traded. They may, however, be handed down to family
members from generation to generation, or from one Native American to another
for religious purposes. Native Americans may NOT give eagle feathers or parts
to non-Native Americans as a gift.
Other special item: my brother Rich
and niece MacKenzie surprised us Friday night at 11:30 and stayed 2 nights with
us. (The air bed works!) They went fishing at Isle Royal on Saturday, and yes, they did catch fish
so we had a wonderful meal of fresh lake trout that evening. YUM!
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| MacKenzie on board! |
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| MacKenzie and Gail |
Monday August 13 - We said goodbye to Char and Bob who have been here for 2+ weeks, and to Jody and Eric who were here for the weekend. We'll stay in touch with both couples as we all hit the road, some sooner than others.
We leave you with a photo of one of the evening sunsets, just before a storm. God shows His handiwork everywhere we look!
