The Heritage Library in Peshawbestown is host to a variety of events and activities throughout the year that promote the Anishinabek culture. From workshops centered on how to make moccasins step by step as well as traditional ribbon skirts, to classes teaching people how to create dream catchers and snow snakes in the winter — the library maker space allows for both Native Americans and the general public to learn important aspects about the tribe and its rich culture that continues to live on.
“It teaches (Native American crafts) the community appreciation for our culture and our heritage… It gives Natives and non-natives an appreciation for the Anishinaabe culture,” said Francis Carew, the Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa Indians’ (GTB) Heritage Library director. “The ribbon skirts have been around for a while and then they’ve come back, but a lot of things have been gone for a long time… believe it or not, we still have people that have never made them (ribbon skirts) or know what they are but never had an opportunity to do that — so this gives them a chance to experience that.”
The three hour-long workshops are led by Carew and other mentors from the community. The ribbon skirt class, for example, had participants working with Carew and his aunt, Sandy Raphael. For about two or so months, people had the opportunity during the workshop hours to put together skirts with help from the mentors present. Materials to complete different projects were also supplied, making it relatively easy for anyone to join in and learn, no matter what skill level they are.
“From adults to seniors to tribal elders and some kids… and it’s all free and open to anybody and everybody in the community,” he said. “And they (participants) get to take a tangible item home made with their own hands and that really helps, being a Tai Chi person, the psyche a lot. You feel good about something you created. You get to show it to people and then they comment on it things like ‘it’s beautiful,’ which makes you feel good because you created something from nothing.”
One of the ongoing classes that comes up every year centers around creating snow snakes, or carved wooden poles. For the last several years, Carew has offered workshops during the winter season on how to make snow snake poles that are later used to play the traditional game during the GTB’s winter festivities.The goal of the game is to see who can throw their pole down the snow track the farthest. In the process of making a snow snake, people can decorate their poles and learn how to carve and shape the maple or Ironwood, all the while hearing about the significance of the game and its history.
“It’s the same thing with bringing these things back to the community because they were lost at one time and now we’re bringing them back,” he said. “It’s (snow snake) is being played all over Michigan and Canada now too.”
Other hands-on classes, like the dream catcher and moccasins workshop, were taught by Carew and his mother, Roseanne Raphael. Some of the materials they work with for projects are purchased, while others are harvested locally, like the red willow sometimes utilized in dreamcatcher hoops.
“From start to finish, there’s a process to it,” he said. “My job is to help facilitate that, then the mentors usually come in and show people how to do it and then I’m basically the helper at that time and show them how to do it.”
Carew said a lot of the time, he’s learning how to make things for the first time in the workshops, so it’s a learning experience for him as well as for the public that shows up.
“I had to learn how to do it too… like when I made moccasins, my aunt Sandy helped me again because I had never done anything like that. So with her guidance, I learned really quickly how to do this stuff,” he said. “Being able to teach it and show people how to do it — it gave me a lot of pride in our culture itself because these are things I had always wanted to do but I never had the chance. This program allowed me to experience that too, and allowed me to bring good vibes to the community at-large… It’s been fun to teach people and watch them in awe. They see the camaraderie and everyone talking and giggling and laughing — being able to bring a craft to people and then being able to bring happiness and joy and seeing the look on their faces, it makes me feel like I’m doing my job and duty as a librarian, and as a Native librarian and someone part of the culture.”
For more information and to check what activities the Heritage Library has scheduled in the months ahead, people can call 231-534-7752 or email [email protected].
