New cultural center may open

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Baskets, bead work and trade silver graced the tables in the Ziibiwing Cultural Society’s groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to introduce the community to the possibility of a new cultural center.
The center, for which the idea originated several years ago, is expected to open in 2002, said Bonnie Ekdahl, director of the Ziibiwing Cultural Society.
The new building will have exhibits that showing the history and contemporary issues of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
Drawings and diagrams have been made, but are just introductions to the concept, Ekdahl said.
“It’s a cultural celebration,” Ekdahl said of the groundbreaking. “It’s letting people know we exist because of the people’s support.”
Evaluation surveys were available at the ceremony, which Ekdahl plans to look at.
“People are very impressed,” she said. “They’re happy to see it happening. We’re representing the tribal community.”
On view for the public were baskets, bead work – which included traditional Native American dress and blankets – archival and multimedia and trade silver, among several other kinds of art.
Mount Pleasant resident Becky Rodriguez said she is excited for the center and hopes it opens as soon as possible.
“I’m excited for the new center – it will give people the opportunity to view art of different cultures in our community. Right now there aren’t many places to see a mass amount of art in one place around here. It gives us something like that in our own town.”
Mount Pleasant resident Tony Turner said he was there to show his children what they might be able to see in a few years.
“I didn’t grow up with a place like this around here so I thought we’d come out and see what it was about,” Turner said.
“I enjoyed the bead work because of the intricacy of the design and the special talent needed to create such beautiful pieces,” he said.