Last weekend I went sight-seeing in Baraga County. I headed East to L'Anse and drove north along the Keweenaw Bay on Pointe Abbay Peninsula. On my trek back, I came across "Indian Cemetery Road" and drove to see if I could actually find a cemetery.
A few miles down the road, on a bluff at the crest of a hill, I found the most beautiful cemetery I had ever seen...and I have visited dozens.
As I turned onto the precarious dirt road, overlooking a most beautiful valley, with birch trees and a small lake in the distance, my heart raced and I was enthralled. Spirit houses!
Spirit Houses or Jiibegamig, are knee high wooden structures built over a gravesite. I had never seen these before! They were positively glorious to behold.
As I got out of my car, camera in hand, I started bowing my head and mumbling, asking for permission to walk among the graves. I also thought and said, "I humbly and with great respect, walk among my ancestors." I had never felt so inclined to ask the spirit guardians in such a reverent manner before.
I knew I was on very sacred ground and I walked slowly, head bowed and humbly.
There had been a fire back in 2009 and 45 spirit houses had been damaged or burned. Remnants of burned tree trunks were quite obvious. One person I spoke with said the local Native American Tribe of Chippewas had to come in to remove the burned trees and clean up the cemetery.
In many places, were no grave markers or spirit house stood, red flags were put in the ground marking the locations.
I searched the Internet and found photos of the cemetery from years past. Spirit houses were varying sizes and often had a wooden cross affixed at the top apex.
My intense reaction made me wonder. Do I feel so strongly because it is such a sacred site and ancient? Is this a place where I feel a deep connection to the Earth and all it's beings? Or is it because I have a blood relative buried there?
The latter Is actually possible as my great-grandfather, Sebastian Wise was half Native American and lived in the Detroit area when he met my great-grandmother. I have a photo of him. And Grandma, Sebastians daughter, tells of how he went to a mission school where they changed his Indian name and no one knew his birth name or place of birth. Interesting...very interesting.
I will return to the UP and visit this cemetery again. I will also continue my research into this truly fascinating place.
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
