Exhibits
Longhouse Theater
The Holy Childhood of Jesus Indian School was located in Harbor Springs, Michigan, making it our most local boarding school. The school started as a small log cabin in 1829 and grew into a three-story building. It was run by a group of Catholic nuns who were known for strict discipline and corporal punishment (corporal punishment was common among all U.S. schools at the time).
The school closed in 1983, due to low enrollment. The building was demolished in 2007 and replaced with a parish hall. During the renovation of the Holy Childhood of Jesus Church, near the boarding school grounds, an Indian cemetery revealed remains of young children along with many historical artifacts.
We wish to thank Jennifer Devos and Lisa Walker of Gogomain Art, John Causley, DeLinda Brissette, and several Native Elders for their input and artistry.
Longhouse/Healing Lodge
Huron Village Longhouses were used by agricultural tribes throughout the Eastern United States. Unlike the Ojibwa's wigwams, longhouses were permanent homes. Home to an entire clan, the longhouse was a symbol of status depending on how long and large the dwelling was. Our Longhouse is much shorter than a historical longhouse of the Huron which would have been around 100 feet in length with 20 feet across. Hearths would be set up every few meters down the longhouse and platforms used as beds along the side walls. The buildings were tall usually around 20 to 30 feet with a long vent for ventilation of hearth smoke. Our longhouse is open to the public to walk through at this time and photos are welcome.
Ojibwa Migration Chart
The Migration Chart is a replication of a birch bark scroll, called a Wiigwaasabak, which recounts the legend around the historical journey of the Ojibwa from their home along the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes and onward to Minnesota which occurred across the 14th and 15th century. The story is rich with good and evil spirits as well as trials that need be overcome. The story focuses primarily on the quest of bear and otter symbolic representatives of the Ojibwa.