Hundreds of Native American dancers from all over the Midwest and Canada traveled to Grand Portage last weekend to participate in the annual Pow Wow. The three-day event also featured music from 20 drums and plenty of good food. Staff photos/Brian Larsen
Grand Portage National Monument celebrated the annual Rendezvous Days weekend with 154 historic re-enactor camps on site with over 300 re-enactors attending from all over the United States, Ontario, and Manitoba. Participants eagerly shared their passion for the history of Grand Portage and the fur trade era of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nearly 3,500 visitors attended the event over the weekend, and were treated to a variety of experiences.
This year’s theme was “Hats Off to the Fur Trade” and numerous workshops and activities featured a wide array of headwear styles from the period. Michael Kahler presented a workshop on the Ojibwe Gustoweh, or traditional headdress featuring quillwork and feathers on brain-tanned leather.
Gene Tesdahl presented on the traditional voyageur guide’s hat adorned with feathers and ribbon, and throughout the event visitors to the park had the opportunity to make their own stylish headgear with supplies provided at the workshop tent with guidance from park staff and re-enactors. Additional opportunities to learn about various fashions of the time included Ojibwestyle wool and ribbon hoods, Monmouth caps, linen caps, voyageur tuques, and of course, beaver-felt hats.
Left: The 2019 Grand Portage Lake Superior Chippewa Junior Princess is Nevaeh Deschampe, WaabaashkiIskodayBishiiIkwe (White Buffalo Woman). Preston Olsen is the Tiny Brave Prince. Above, Eric and Arty, musicians from the North Dakota- Montana border, provided great music in the Great Hall at the Grand Portage National Monument throughout the weekend Rendezvous celebration. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Activities geared toward kids once again featured prominently in this year’s lineup. In addition to being able to make their own hats, attendees were offered the opportunity to make a double-ball, which was a game piece for the traditional Ojibwe version of women’s lacrosse.
We were thrilled to welcome back our talented voyageur storyteller, Matt Roy, as he enthralled the crowds with tales of some factual and some fictional voyages from long ago. Our resident clerk, Wayne Krefting, with the assistance of the participants in the canoe camp, was able to sign up young participants as voyageurs as they were instructed in the arts of canoeing and portaging.
Children’s cooking and kitchen workshops continued to be staples on the program following their introduction a year ago. Finally, children had the opportunity to make cattail duck decoys in the park’s Ojibwe village.
There’s never been a shortage of music heard throughout the grounds during the event. Grand Portage’s Stone Bridge Singers kicked off the event on Friday in the yard outside the Great Hall, and the drums from the Pow Wow could be heard throughout the entire weekend.
Additionally, the 18th century music jam was a hit featuring the plethora of musicians in camp supported by several of the park’s current and former staff including Carrie Dlutkowski’s fiddling and Jeremy Kingsbury’s bagpipes. Eric and Arty, musicians from the North Dakota and Montana border, performed concerts in the Great Hall and in the historic encampment over the weekend, and the Booneslick Strings returned to Grand Portage from their Missouri home to perform all throughout the camp during the event.
Red Coats stand on guard while nearby, a pioneer lady works on a sash for her husband. She said she has been working for years on the sash. With canoe paddles in short supply, a young man works diligently to carve one. Staff photos/Brian Larsen
The usual staples of camp competitions and games filled out the schedule along with blacksmithing demonstrations and workshops, children’s scavenger hunt, children’s bead hunt, exhibiting an 18th century bateux or rowboat, and a large lacrosse match with nearly 60 participants. Grand Portage National Monument cordially invites you to attend next year’s Rendezvous Days event, which will be held on August 7-9, 2020. We look forward to your visit!
Winners of the 2019 Grand Portage Pow Wow softball tournament were, front row from left, Jase and Chris Smith, Maranda Deschampe, Mariah Deschampe, Jordyn Deschampe and Joe Deschampe Sr. Standing in back, from left, are Jack Wieben, John Swanson, Ben Braman, Danny Deschampe, Joe Deschampe Jr. and Isaiah Deschampe. Photo courtesy Rob Hackett
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