Monday, Oct. 15 signaled the start of the Anishinabe Wiigwaasi-Jiiman (canoe building) Community Project in the Ziibiwing Center’s lobby.

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College Extension developed a program with the co-sponsorship of the Ziibiwing Center and the Seventh Generation Program that would culminate in the creation of a birchbark canoe.

“The purpose of this build is to bring the community together to revitalize the teachings and knowledge of our ancestors to build a 15-foot Anishinabe Wiigwaasi-Jiiman (birchbark canoe) that can be used to harvest wild rice the way our ancestors did,” said Lupe Gonzalez, coordinator for SCTC’s Extension Program.

The project began in Seventh Generation’s Elijah Elk Cultural Center with informational gatherings and then continued to the Ziibiwing Center for the actual building of the canoe.

The building portion ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday (excluding Sundays) through Oct. 27.

Kevin Finney is very experienced in birchbark canoe building, having built “more than he can count” at this point.

Finney has been assisted by knowledgeable Tribal community members including some of Ziibiwing’s staff members. They help with everything from building the canoe to keeping the work site clean.

The community was invited to come and lend a hand, watch and learn.

An Anishinabe history class and an Anishinabemowin language class from the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College were in attendance at the Ziibiwing Center along with members of both the Tribal and non-tribal communities.

Babies to elders and everyone in between were also in attendance.

Tribal community members provided a live musical performance one afternoon to further enhance the experience.

For a portion of the time, there were sacred and ceremonial eagle feathers being cleansed and honored in an adjacent room.

Follow Ziibiwing on Facebook for more information and more project photos.