Project Title: MDNR Heart of the Great Turtle Island Location: St. Ignace, Michigan Description of Work: Construction Material Testing, Special Inspections, Laboratory Testing Value: $3.6 M
The site’s location at the Straits of Mackinac gives it added importance to the Anishinaabeg, as the straits are the location of their creation story and at the center of their vision of North America as “turtle island.” The project recenters the narrative around the thriving Anishinaabe (Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi) people and cultures whose pre- and post- contact history provide context for Marquette’s experiences and their own continuing story.
A flexible Learning Commons to house exhibitions and year-round meeting space for workshops, classes, and conversations
New, permanent structures at the Powwow Grounds
A Community Kitchen Pavilion for powwows and educational programs
Refreshed and new Interpretive trails
Site interpretation through art installations, exhibits, public events, and education programs.
