Norman Deschampe meets with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in December 2018.
More than 400 people attended a Celebration of Life held Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the Grand Portage Community Center for the much loved and respected Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa leader Norman Deschampe, who passed away Saturday, Feb. 9.
The Stone Bridge Singers opened with the Honor Song, and John Morrin delivered a prayer, saying he was humbled and blessed to have worked with Norman for 20 years on the Tribal Council. “Norman was open and kind. He would treat everyone the same. He was down to earth. A true leader, one who didn’t think he was higher or better than others.”
Gary Frazer, executive director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, said he and Norman talked every day. Norman liked to kid, and so did Gary. One day Gary called Norman at 10 a.m. and informed him that he had called earlier, at 5 a.m. And Norman didn’t answer. Without missing a beat, Norman replied, “I must have been on my mid-morning break.”
“He was authentic. He was one of the finest human beings I will ever know,” said Karen Driver.
John Scott said he and Norman never discussed work, but talked about family first, then fishing. “He was a good listener, leader, a man we all loved.”
Forty years ago, said Ferdinand Martineau, both he and Norman were elected to serve on the Tribal Council. Even as a young man, Norman was a leader, said Martineau, adding, “he was elected, elected, elected again and again. He was a good friend, a good man, good husband, a great leader.”
Tim Cochrane, retired superintendent of the Grand Portage National Monument, worked closely with Norman on establishing a one-of-a-kind relationship/ partnership with the National Park Service and the Grand Portage tribe. Norman was blessed with “civility, common sense, and calmness,” Cochrane said. “He also had a talent for understanding folks,” with an ability to tell whether someone could be trusted or not, he added.
“He knew where everyone lived, and he knew everything about Grand Portage,” said Geraldine Kozlowski, 10 years Norman’s senior. “There was nothing here when Norman started in the Tribal Council. All we had was a stockade, community building, and school. Norman cared about the animals. He knew where there were moose and deer. He made sure the elders had heat in their homes when it got cold. He cared about young people. He wanted to leave them something.”
After current tribal leaders spoke, the mike was open to the public. Grand Portage forester Tim Miller called Norman “A great man.” Norman’s brother -in-law Rick Novitsky said Norman was his best man at his wedding and he lost his best friend and a great fishing partner when Norman died.
Steven Standing Cloud wrote a two-part poem called “Yesterday/Today” for the program. Upon first meeting Norman, he informed him that he had relatives in Grand Portage. When he told Norman who they were, he said Norman told him some of their family histories in the band and made him feel very welcome.
“Norman still split his own wood, trapped pine marten, gutted his own moose,” said Billy Blackwell. “He was captain of our ship for 40 years.” Blackwell said the late U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar only had one picture hanging in his Washington, D.C. office. And it was a picture of Norman.
More people spoke. The boy who grew up without electricity until he was in his mid teens, who was poor as a church mouse but rich in spirit and integrity, had pulled himself up by his bootstraps, attended college, came home and became a leader. A kind young man in high school, soft spoken with a warm smile, Norman was always a leader, one that remained relatively unchanged despite his success, never forgetting his humble beginnings or the people who helped him along the way. He will be deeply missed.
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