Tribe donates $15,000 for Michigan Story Festival

Thanks to a $15,000 donation by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the first Michigan Story Festival will come to fruition.

The mission of the Michigan Story Festival is to share stories through image, sounds and action with the people of the Great Lakes region and beyond.

“The story festival is a project initiated by CMU for the mid-Michigan region and has been in the planning for more than a year with representatives from the community, the Tribe and university working together to create a schedule of storytellers in the areas of music, art, thought and image,” said Sharon McDonald-Tiknis, CCFA director of development.

A town hall meeting to introduce the festival is planned for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Veterans Memorial Library, 301 S. University Ave. The public is invited to the free program and refreshments will be served. The festival will take place Oct. 17 and 18.

Joe Sowmick, public relations director for Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, said the $15,000 donation was to support the cooperative effort for CMU/Tribal relations.

“We felt strongly about it, and it was unanimously accepted by the Tribal Council,” he said. “It’s another example of the Kahgegab administration supporting the arts. We’ve seen that in the past through the Opus 6 sponsorship, and by supporting the movie festival.”

McDonald-Tiknis said the Tribe joins the Michigan Humanities Council and CMU in sponsorship at the highest level.

“(Those donations are) incredibly important, and it demonstrates the strength of the partnership in this civic engagement project,” she said.

Presenters at the festival include:

  • CCFA Dean Sue Ann Martin, who will give an overview of the Michigan Story Festival;

  • University President Michael Rao, who will discuss his commitment to civic engagement;

  • Ambassador Monica Rao, who will explain the broad cultural scope of the festival;

  • Mary Olivieri, community relations director for Isabella Bank and Trust, who will discuss a January visit by storyteller Leland Faulkner and Isabella Bank’s sponsorship of the festival;

  • Michigan Story Festival co-chairpersons Pamela Gates, associate dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Kevin Malloy, library-media specialist at The Morey Charter School, who will moderate a question-and-answer session;

  • Roger Gilbert, principal of Mary McGuire Elementary in Mount Pleasant, who will discuss public school involvement; and

  • Ben Ramirez, CMU history professor, who will explain the engagement between the community and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

“We certainly hope and anticipate a substantial attendance by representatives of the community and we are developing a marketing plan to make sure people in mid-Michigan and beyond are aware of the festival,” McDonald-Tiknis said.

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