This painting by Wilhelm Alprecht depicts Father Marquette with Native Americans during a 1673 expedition. (Photo courtesy of Marquette University Archives)

By RANDY CROUCH

Journal City Editor

MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University will be holding an event to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the passing of Marquette’s namesake, Father Jacques Marquette.

The full-day event will be hosted by the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center and will take place from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 19.

Throughout the day, several presentations, roundtable discussions, addresses and a film showing will take place to celebrate the life and legacy of Father Marquette, who died on May 18, 1675.

The event’s keynote speaker is celebrated Catholic scholar Bronwen McShea, a historian, writer, speaker and artist from New York City. McShea, among other things, wrote the book “Apostles of Empire: The Jesuits and New France” which is a history of the French Jesuit mission throughout North America in the 17th and 18th centuries, a mission which Father Marquette was a part of.

This is the full lineup of the day’s events:

8 a.m.: “Father Jacques Marquette: the making of a North American hero” by Daniel Truckey, Director/Curator, Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, Northern Michigan University.

9 a.m.: “An Anishinaabe Perspective on Forced Christianization and the Native American Boarding Schools.” by Dr. Jud Sojourn, Assistant Professor of Native American Studies and Tyler Detloff, Director, Center for Native American Studies.

10 a.m.: “A Noble Figure: The Story of the Three Marquette Statues” by Steve Brisson, Director, Michigan State Historic Parks.

11 a.m.

Keynote Address: “The French Jesuits in Colonial North America” by Dr. Bronwen McShea, Historian.

Lunch Break

1:30 p.m.: “Father Marquette Monuments in the United States” Dr. Russ Magnaghi, Professor Emeritus of History, Northern Michigan University.

2:30 p.m.: “The Unsolved Mysteries of Father Marquette’s Many Graves” by Jennifer McGraw, Historian

3:30 p.m. Showing of the film, “The Return” followed by a roundtable discussion on the film about Father Marquette’s remains being returned to St. Ignace, featuring: Daniel Rydholm, M.Div, official historian for “The Return”; Jon Magnuso of The Cedar Tree Institute; and Russ Rickley, Tribal Elder, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net