Odawa Warriors' Journey Exhibit
Exhibit historical details
Emmet County's successful application for grant funding from the Michigan Humanities Council details the timeline and important events surrounding the French and Indian War time period, along with key individuals from Northwest Michigan who partook in significant events as this region transformed from one of French rule to British rule. Key to the exhibit is the role of the Odawa (Ottawa) who were the first inhabitants here.
To read the historical background of the Odawa Warriors' Journey exhibit, click on the download below.
The Odawa Warriors' Journey exhibit is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Emmet County Board of Commissioners.
Students tour Odawa Warriors' Journey exhibit
Pellston Elementary School fifth-graders toured the Odawa Warriors' Journey exhibit at Pellston Regional Airport on Nov. 10, as part of Native American Awareness Month. The approximately 50 students were accompanied by their teachers, Sandy deCastro and Dianne Wolford.
While at the exhibit, the students explored the numerous displays, including the authentic wigwam that is situated in the center of the Trophy Room, where the exhibit is located. Inside the wigwam, they were able to experience furs of many indigenous animals, while learning the importance of the fur trade to Native Americans and later French and British occupants of the Michilimackinac region.
The students also watched a video detailing a French soldier's journey to the opening battle of the French and Indian War in Pennsylvania, and they taste-tested traditional corn soup and made corn-husk dolls with the help of Meredith Henry, of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
The exhibit outlines the journey of a group of Odawa indians from Emmet County who traveled to Ft. Necessity, Penn., to take part in the opening battle of the French and Indian war. It also explains the transfer of European rule in the Straits area at the end of the war and the shift from French to British power.
Area teachers interested in bringing their students through the exhibit may contact Beth Anne Piehl, Emmet County Director of Communications and project co-director, by calling (231) 348-1704, or emailing bpiehl@emmetcounty.org.
The exhibit is open daily free of charge, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Grand Opening Photo Album
Click here for photos and comments about the grand opening of the Odawa Warriors' Journey exhibit in August 2011.
Odawa Warriors Journey opening Aug. 12 at Pellston Regional Airport
Meet key historical figures from Odawa, French and British history. Watch a movie based on a French soldier’s journal during the time of the French and Indian War (1750-1761), and tour an authentic wigwam during the grand opening celebration of “The Odawa Warriors’ Journey” exhibit at Pellston Regional Airport.
The exhibit, a project of the Emmet County Historical Commission, opens to the public on Aug. 12, with a celebration planned from 4-6 p.m. The exhibit will be open daily beginning Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at no charge. Signs in the airport will direct visitors to the Trophy Room, where the exhibit components will be arranged, including interpretive display boards, a self-guided cellphone tour and life-size figures telling their own stories from the time period.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Emmet County,” said Beth Anne Piehl, Emmet County’s Director of Communications and Web Development, and the exhibit’s Project Director. “It represents a broad collaboration of organizations who share the same mission: To promote our region, tell our stories and preserve our history. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for residents and visitors to learn about a significant time period that impacted the entire Michilimackinac region and to view artifacts culled from local grounds.”
Emmet County received a $15,000 Michigan Humanities Council grant to help fund this project. Collaborating with the development of the exhibit and lending of artifacts are Mackinac State Historic Parks, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the National Park Service, through Fort Necessity. The Odawa Warriors’ Journey had been on display at Fort Necessity, in Penn., from July 2010 to July 2011.
The exhibit details the journey of Odawa warriors from Emmet County to Farmington, PA, to join the fight for Native sovereignty. The Pennsylvania battle in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. At least 20 Odawas (Ottawas), known as the Anishinaabe, were among those who traveled about 630 miles to this battle against George Washington.
The local exhibit committee further expanded the journey by tying in key figures and events in the Mackinaw region to the national actions going on at time, through the use of a special movie and characters like Patrick McGulpin, the namesake family of McGulpin Point Lighthouse just west of downtown Mackinaw City, and Charles Langlade, a prominent Odawa leader who impacted numerous battles and events here and nationally.
The Pellston display will be open until summer 2012. It will be open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call (231) 348-1704, email bpiehl@emmetcounty.org, or visit www.emmetcounty.org.
Emmet awarded $15,000 humanities grant
‘Odawa Warriors’ Journey’ exhibit will open at Pellston airport in August
Emmet County and its Historical Commission have been awarded a $15,000 Major Grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, to be used toward development of an exhibition entitled “The Odawa Warriors' Journey.”
“At the heart of the Michigan Humanities Council is keeping Michigan’s history alive and ensuring future generations an opportunity to reflect upon and learn from our rich cultural heritage,” said Katie Wolf, MHC executive director. “The Michigan Humanities Council grant award to Emmet County’s Historical Commission reflects that, enabling local historians and artifacts to tell the story of the Odawa Warriors’ Journey and how it helped shaped who we are today.”
The Warriors' Journey is currently a National Park Service display at Fort Necessity, Penn. It details the journey of Odawa warriors from Emmet County to Farmington, PA, to join the fight for Native sovereignty. The Pennsylvania battle in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. At least 20 Odawas (Ottawas), known as the Anishinaabe, were among those who traveled about 630 miles to this battle.
Last year, the curators of exhibits at Fort Necessity contacted a local family for their native artifacts from this time period for inclusion in their display. Those items will be returning home to Emmet County in summer 2011, for the local Warriors' Journey exhibit now being created. Many other items were loaned to Fort Necessity from the state of Michigan/Fort Michilimackinac.
The local exhibit will be on display at Pellston Regional Airport beginning Aug. 12, 2011. More details will be forthcoming as plans develop.
“The $15,000 Major Grant award is a tremendous gift to Emmet County from the Michigan Humanities Council," said Lyn Johnson, County Controller. "Our staff put a lot of time into planning what this exhibit will entail, from interpretive display boards to a special movie that will be created. The entire display will become an important and permanent historical record."
Emmet County Historical Commission member Sandy Planisek, a Mackinaw City resident and historian, said the grant award is the culmination of a collaboration between the county and members of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
“This partnership has led to many exciting ideas for narrating our county’s intriguing history -- stories that have not been told in this type of format,” said Planisek. “We hope this exhibit will serve as a catalyst for more activities and opportunities to showcase the people and events that shaped this region of Michigan and that impacted the formation of our country as well.”
The Odawa Warriors’ Journey is made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. More information will be posted on the county Web site, www.emmetcounty.org, or call (231) 348-1704.