The public is invited to join the Leland Cultural Campus for an afternoon of activities centered around honoring and sharing the culture and art of the local Anishinaabek on Monday, October 13, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, nationally observed on the second Monday in October, honors Native American histories and cultures and allows an opportunity for learning and to challenge the traditional narrative that often overlooks Indigenous suffering and contributions.
Here, in Leland, the rivers and shorelines are not simply beautiful backdrops—they are part of the land’s story, deeply significant for local Anishinaabeg communities. This land once sustained communities: providing fish, plants, shelter, trade routes, and places for council and ceremony. Hosting this event along the Leland River is an act of remembering those connections and of recognizing the ongoing relationship between people and place.
The day will kick off at 12:30 p.m. with the Dusty Bear Singers and tribal community dancers dressed in traditional regalia on the front lawn of the Old Art Building. Please dress for the weather as this is an outdoor activity. At 2:00pm inside the Old Art Building, Moderator Mark Wilson will host a panel discussion exploring “Anishinaabeg Way of Life: Past, Present, and Future” followed by a screening of a short film about the Kchi Wiikwedong Anishinaabe History Project's Anishinaabe Cultural Marker Project (12 minute run time).
Other features of the day will include free admission to the Leelanau Historical Society’s Traditional Anishinaabek Arts Room, which houses over two hundred regionally crafted sweetgrass, birchbark, and quillwork artifacts. Visit the Kchi Wiikwedong Anishinaabe History Project’s cultural marker outside the Munnecke Room. Recommended Indigenous books curated by Leland Township Public Library. Indigenous cuisine will also be made available to the public by Raphael Foods of Peshawbestown. Donations are
welcome.