State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Wacedah Township

HOUGHTON – Six Michigan preservation projects including one in the Copper Country were recently awarded Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation during a ceremony hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office, it has been announced. Communities represented by the projects include Clarkston, Coldwater, Detroit, Lansing, Northfield Township and Isle Royale.

Now in its 23rd year, the Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation program, held annually during National Historic Preservation Month, was created by SHPO to celebrate outstanding historic preservation achievements that reflect a commitment to the preservation of Michigan’s unique character and the many archaeological sites and historic places that represent our rich past. This year’s event took place in Heritage Hall at the Michigan State Capitol. 

The U.P. entry was:

Collaborative Stewardship of Archaeological Resources Isle Royale, Keweenaw County 

Awardees: Isle Royale National Park; Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; and Grand Portage National Monument 

For no less than 5,000 years, people have made the water journey to Isle Royale, known as Minong to regional Anishinaabe cultures. Their time on the island and related activities left imprints on the rugged, wild environment. Isle Royale National Park was established in 1931. The archipelago is a continued place of significance to the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and its status as a Traditional Cultural Place celebrates the tribe’s lasting connections to Minong. 

Since 2012, the cultural resource program at Isle Royale has conducted archaeological survey work along the island’s Nipissing beach, a relict Lake Superior shoreline approximately five thousand years old. The Relict Shoreline Survey project has enriched our understanding of Minong’s human past, identifying new archaeological resources and placing them into the wider context of archaeology in the Lake Superior Basin. Among the successes of the project are the long-term connections forged between project research and the regional Ojibwe community. Strong, collaborative partnerships such as this help us all better understand and respect the people who came before us. 

“The U.P. is full of picturesque water and landscapes that have great histories sometimes more than a thousand years old,” said state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township. “The ongoing Relict Shoreline survey, which has expanded our understanding of this shared past, is uncovering invaluable archeological resources along the Lake Superior shoreline in the U.P., including Isle Royale.  I commend the dedicated researchers and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for their collaboration and stewardship.”