GTB holds 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Civil War Memorial Highway dedication ceremony
The 139 Native American men of Company K of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters were honored for the first time in over 160 years at a Civil War Memorial Highway Dedication ceremony held Wednesday afternoon at Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown.
“This memorial highway is more than a name on a sign. It is an act of remembrance,” said Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ Tribal Chairwoman Sandra Witherspoon during the ceremony’s welcome address. “It is a visible acknowledgment that these men mattered, that their stories deserve to be told, not only today, but for generations to come. As travelers drive this stretch of highway, my hope is that they will ask questions. Who is Company K? Why were they honored? What is their story? And through these questions, history continues to live. When we honor Company K, we honor not only the sacrifice of these warriors, but the enduring strength of Anishinaabe people and the responsibility that we carry to remember those who came before us.”
