Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways offers visitors an unusual window with a view of the culture and history of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe of Michigan.
“The 9,000-square-foot, award-winning ‘Diba Jimooyung’ (Telling Our Story) permanent exhibition takes you on a journey from the pre-contact Saginaw Chippewa ancestors to the present-day tribe,” said Shannon Martin, director of the Ziibliwing Center. “There are a lot of hands-on exhibitions and activities within the exhibition, as well as two theaters.”
The center, located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, also has an outdoor exhibition area called “Our Medicine Walk.” There, visitors learn “about plants that we still utilize today like our ancestors did for food, medicine and textile dyes,” Martin said.
“The tribal museum and cultural center were developed by the tribe itself so they present an accurate portrayal of our ancestors and our history and contemporary life,” she added.
In addition to the permanent exhibit, the center has changing exhibitions, a research center, meeting and conference facilities, and a gift shop with a media lounge.
Ziibiwing Center can accommodate groups with a minimum of 10 people to up to 100 for tours with advance booking.
Visitors can experience cultural presentations depending what type of package is booked, Martin said.
“We have speakers on a wide range of topical material,” she said. “We can provide song and dance presentations or hands-on cultural art workshops that last anywhere from a half hour to two hours. The art workshops include the opportunity to make-and-take cultural items.”
The center describes itself as a “distinctive treasure created to provide an enriched, diversified and culturally relevant educational experience.”
Free motorcoach parking is available nearby.
For more information on the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways call 989-775-4750 or go to sagchip.org/ziibiwing.
Article by Kathie Sutin
