During Rendezvous Days, the Grand Portage National Monument offers a glimpse of life at a fur trade depot in the late 1700s. Right: Kiri Butter of Thunder Bay stitches birch panels for a structure in the monument’s Ojibwe village.
Throughout Rendezvous Days weekend, August 9-11, re-enactors talk about life in the fur trade community to visitors to the old fort. There were 123 camps around the North West Company depot this year, similar to the numbers that would have been on hand in 1797, one of the most profitable years for the company. Re-enactors could also take part in historic cooking or baking lessons, learn to sail a Mackinaw boat, try blacksmithing or finger weaving, study 18th century techniques and more. Above: This group relaxes a bit and takes in a lacrosse game on the lawn of the Great Hall.
Above left: Dave Bates of Thunder Bay didn’t win the Rugged Voyageur Contest, but he showed good form when it came time to chug a cup of water voyageurstyle. Above right: Taking no quarter, this young man gives his all for the win in a vigorous game of lacrosse on the Great Hall lawn on Saturday of Rendezvous.
Left: After an exciting weekend of ball-playing at the Rendezvous Days Softball Tournament, tournament organizer MaryAnn Gagnon presented awards. (L-R) Female MVP Samantha Mattson of Team Murray; Male MVP Brandon Smith of The Neighborhood; Harry Shears, captain of 3rd place winners The Neighborhood; Joey Pedersen, captain of 2nd place winners North Shore Waste; and Edin Murray, captain of the champion team Team Murray (with his daughter). North Shore Waste also earned the trophy for best sportsmanship. They entertained fans with their “garbage” chant, accompanied by clanging trash can lids throughout the weekend.
Left: Karianna Deschampe, 4, Grand Portage shows off the T-shirt earned by participants in the Grand Portage Walk – Run on Saturday, August 10. Karianna completed the one-mile walk. There was a great turnout for this year’s event that also offered a one-mile run and a three-mile walk or run on the scenic Bay Road.
Grand Portage Powwow emcee Murphy Thomas encourages participants to “Dance your style!” This young man added a Marine Corps flag to his regalia and followed Thomas’s instructions.
During the Grand Entry on Saturday, an eagle circled overhead—an especially meaningful sight for veterans like Johnny Mitchell. Mitchell was honored with a special drum song that came to his brother when he was fighting in Germany in World War II. It is shared each year at the Grand Portage Powwow. Mitchell’s family and community members thanked him for his service.
There were 29 drum groups at the Grand Portage Rendezvous Days Powwow, overseen by arena director Brandon Dahl. Host drum was the Stonebridge Singers, pictured here along with some friends. The dedicated young men are now mentoring another group, the Hollow Rock Creek Singers.
Several young people competed for the honor of representing Grand Portage in the coming year. Judges had a difficult time selecting this year’s royalty as all of the youths bravely danced in the powwow circle in front of hundreds of people. Earning the honors this year were (L-R) Junior Princess ShaeLyn Novitsky, Junior Brave Isaah Deschampe, Tiny Tot Princess Holly Dahl (in front), Princess Samantha Scalise, Senior Brave Cody Tessor.
Each dancer brings his or her own style to the powwow circle, like this young man with his sturdy long-bone beaded breastplate.
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