The Blue Water River Walk has a new sculpture honoring the area’s Native American past and looking toward the future with hope. A ceremony to dedicate the Seven Grandfathers sculpture will be on June 21st at 10 AM.
Friends of the St. Clair River is celebrating Indigeneous culture and art at the dedication of the Seven Grandfathers sculpture and the River Walk Garden or Giitigan. The ceremony includes drumming and dancers from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, a smudging ceremony, and a planting project.
The Seven Grandfathers sculpture was carved by Garret Nahdee of the Ojibway Tribe of Walpole Island, and it stands overlooking the St. Clair River at about the middle of the River Walk trail.
Friends Restoration Coordinator Brooke Hiller said, “We want people to come celebrate indigenous culture, learn about native plants, and help us celebrate this project for healing the past and giving hope for the future. We are thrilled to have been awarded a Wildflower Association of Michigan grant to complete the new River Walk Giitigan with plants of Native American significance. Giitigan is the Anishinaabe word for garden. Anishinaabe people are Native Americans and First Nations (Canadian) members of local tribes in the Blue Water Area.”
The ceremony is open to the public and all tools for planting will be provided.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
