Community members of all ages gathered outside the Strongheart Center to play traditional Anishinaabeg winter games, including snow snake and spear throwing, at the Grand Traverse Band (GTB) of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ annual winter festival on Saturday.
With the sun shining all day and no clouds in sight, GTB Tribal Librarian Francis Carew was able to host the rescheduled winter games in Peshawbestown, which was cancelled due to extremely cold temperatures the weekend before. Attendees made use of and enjoyed Carew’s handmade 200 foot-long snow snake flat track in the Strongheart Center softball field, as well as spear throwing through a hoop and sledding opportunities outdoors. Three Sisters soup, hot dogs, and hot chocolate was also served at the event inside the Strongheart Center.
“We had a good turnout, and the significance of our festival is just to get people out in the winter time and to showcase some of our old Native American games that we used to do,” Carew said.
