From the Traverse City Record Eagle:
Five arrows, five leaders — one history.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians has a new permanent exhibit at its Eyaawing Museum & Cultural Center off M-22 in Peshawbestown.
The exhibit features a bundle of five tribal chairperson “leadership arrows.” Each handcrafted arrow is marked with the names and years of service of all the tribal chairpersons who served since the tribe was federally recognized in 1980. They are:
• Ardith “Dodie” Harris Chambers, 1980
• Joseph “Buddy” Raphael, 1980-1996
• George E. Bennett, 1996-2000
• Robert Kewaygoshkum, 2000-2008
• Derek J. Bailey, 2008-present
The display will celebrate a “living history that is still a vibrant part of our community,” current Tribal Chairman Derek J. Bailey said.
“It’s very important that we recognize and remember the leaders that provided for what we have today,” Bailey said.
All of the chairpersons and several current and former tribal councilors were in attendance at a dedication ceremony Tuesday evening.
The display will grow in the future as more arrows are added with each additional tribal chairperson, Bailey said.
The arrows were made by tribal member Steve Feringa, who is corporate architect for the tribe’s Economic Development Corporation. Feringa makes and hunts with traditional arrows, and the arrows he made for the display are authentic and made with traditional materials, he said. He hopes the display educates visitors about traditional hunting methods, and he’s proud to be a part of something that honors the tribe’s past.
“Part of our culture is our past … our leaders are very important to us,” he said.
Kewaygoshkum, who recently was elected as a tribal councilor, said the new display will be valuable to the tribe.
“I think it’s kind of neat to remember the leaders of the tribe and the history of the tribe,” he said.
The Grand Traverse Band has more than 4,000 members, mostly in Grand Traverse, Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Leelanau and Manistee counties. The group owns and operates Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg, the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme and Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown.
Turtle Talk 