An American Indian Cemetary

Wind chimes jingled as I walked reverently through the cemetery. For some only simple wooden crosses marked the grave. Other grave decorations were much more elaborate. Great carved wooded eagles with wings rising up and bears standing on hind legs set where traditional headstones might rest. White linked chains fenced the perimeter of some burial sites. A cast iron gateway created a courtyard for one plot. Sun faded pink, yellow, blue and white silk flowers honored many of the dead giving the flat field splashes of color. American flags waved for the veterans. And, statues of elves, parrots, Mickey& Minnie Mouse, and a Dalmatian made me wonder about the significance of their presence.

In an older section of the cemetery, weathered headstones leaned at angles. Many of these people laid to rest here had died over 100-years ago: John 1873 -1904; Our Darling 1905 – 1906; Mary Leamux died 1899 21-years; and Chief Antoine Cloud 1842 - 1910. Giant pines and a huge stone cross cast quiet shadows over the graves. No wind chimes rang here.

These cemeteries are located in Odanah, Wisconsin

on the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of

the Chippewa Indians.

July 15, 2009

Inside St. Mary's Church in Odanah, Wisconsin

Ask a child to draw a church. The likely result will be a rectangular shaped building with a steeple topped with a cross. The overly simplistic drawing would resemble the many churches Ed and I passed during our 2007 -2009 Grand Tour of the US & Canada. The drawing would probably look something like St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Odanah.

We found St. Mary’s Church by following a directional sign off Wisconsin Hwy. 2 in Odanah. On our first visit, we could only walk around the outside admiring the white church with Wedgewood blue trim. We wondered about the cultural significance of the statue of a young Indian woman encased in a triangular shrine that decorated the lawn. I made a note to attend the Saturday Mass at 4 PM.

At 4:50 PM on Saturday, July 11^th, Ed and I approached the Hwy. 2 directional sign returning from a lakeshore drive. “We missed Mass,” I reminded myself aloud. “But, let’s head over to St. Mary’s anyway. Maybe the Church door is still unlocked.”

We found the door wide open. The soft sound of conversations confirmed that Mass had ended. We could smell the aroma of seasoned food and fried chicken. “Welcome! Welcome! Let us fix you a plate of food.” A woman, who introduced herself as the President of the Parish Council, embraced me in a hug and led me by the hand to a buffet on narrow tables set against the back of the last church pew. I allowed her to make a plate for me even though I’d had filled up on pizza only a short time ago. The traditional Indian corn chowder tasted delicious. I saw Ed smacking his lips as he munched on some chicken and talked to the pastor, a Franciscan Friar named Father Paul. The parish potluck celebrated the Feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Indian in the outdoor shrine.

Pope Pius XII venerated Kateri in 1943 and Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1980. This Parish and others pray for her canonization. Kateri was born in 1656, the daughter of a Christian Algonquian mother and a non-Christian Mohawk Chief. At age four, she suffered from smallpox, a disease that left her eyesight weakened and her face scarred. As a teenager, she converted to the Catholic Faith. She suffered for her faith because her tribe did not accept her decision to be baptized. She left her village called Ossernemom, near the town of Auriesville, New York to live in a new Christian colony of Indians near Montreal in Canada. Kateri dedicated her life to prayer, penitential practices, and caring for the ill and aged. On April 17, 1680, when Kateri died, two Jesuits and many Indians with her witnessed a miracle. Within 15 minutes of her death, the ugly scars on her face suddenly disappeared. She became known as Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, “Lilly of the Mohawks.”

There is a second shrine to Kateri within St. Mary’s Church. Her statue is surrounded by vases of flowers. A candle flickers in a tall red votive glass. On her head is a beaded crown bearing the name “Kateri” and around her neck is a beaded necklace. The women of the parish made beading for the statue. More displays of this craft decorate the altar with intricate detail of flowers, a heart, and even a turtle.

For the Feast another statue of Kateri, sat among some green plants, candles and some special offerings. A table near this display held ivory crosses decorated with a small yellow lily. Father Paul wanted each parishioner to have a cross to remember this day honoring “Lilly of the Mohawks.” I also received one as a gift to keep as a memento of this special day. It is the day when I missed Mass but found a symbol of cultural heritage, worship, friendship and love in that little rectangular church with a steeple and a cross on top.

July 11, 2009

St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Odanah, Wisconsin

Surprises Down Madigan Road

You never know what you’ll stumble upon when you take a turn off the main road. That’s what Ed and I did one evening. We headed east in our Toyota on Wisconsin’s Highway 2 from the Bad River Casino where our coach sat parked. We had an Ashland County map as our guide.

“What’s down this road?” asked Ed reading the sign, “It says Madigan Road.”

“Looks like it heads straight north then ends at Lake Superior,” I barely had a chance to respond. Ed had already turned left onto a hard packed dirt road.

True to the map line, the road went straight – no curves. When it dead ended, we got out of the car.

Hundreds of feet below us, we could see an isolated Lake Superior beach. If Ed hadn’t worn his house slippers for our impulsive drive, we might have dared to descend the bluff and claim the beach as our own if only for a short visit. Instead, we decided that we might come back another day wearing hiking boots, totting a backpack, and sprayed with Off. The mosquitoes drove us back to the car; they even attacked Ed who is usually spared their bites.

Ed noticed a road heading west off the dead end of Madigan Road. We still had some time before sunset so we road down this unmarked dirt road. It opened to a field – a special field for the Bad River Indian Reservation.

We found the outer shell of a long house. The rope lashing holding the branches in place looked new so we knew this was recently constructed. A plot of land next to it sat ready for a second building to be constructed from the pile of branches. No one was around to explain what we found. We suspect it was an Indian ceremonial ground - authentic and not created as a tourist attraction.

We tiptoed around a bit amazed at what we stumbled upon high on the shore of Lake Superior when we turned off the main road.

July 9, 2009

Laughlin: Things to Do to Get Out of the RV

I love my Prevost motor home bus conversion. I could stay inside finding things to do all day especially if I have access to the Internet but that defeats the whole purpose of living on the road. So when I was in Laughlin, Nevada, thrust in close proximity to a lively gaming city, I found plenty to see and do...















I joined several of the casino players clubs to take advantage of free slot play. Whenever I my winnings exceeded the $5 or $10 free play, I called my Gambler's Hotline - husband Ed - who encouraged me to "cash out." Sometimes I listened to his sage advice, sometimes I didn't. If I lost a buck or two, I just chalked it up to paying my dues.















Shopping opportunities abound in Laughlin and Bullhead City across the bridge in Arizona. My favorite store was the Watchman inside the Riverside Resort. Thousands of watches ticked time away at cheap prices. Not so cheap were the prices at the Preferred Outlets. The only bargain I found at a discount was on my favorite and alleged to be discontinued Bath & Body Works scent: Juniper Breeze.















Also in the Riverside Resort is the Laughlin Classic Car Collection. How would I look sporting around in this classic 1934 Ford?




















Laughlin has a River Walk along the Colorado River. It's a lovely place to take a walk anytime of day or night.


















Once a year, Laughlin hosts a rodeo. I definitely recommend attending to see the bucking bulls and broncos. It's exciting! If you miss the next Annual River Stampede Rodeo, there's plenty of other entertainment to keep you busy.

















On Spirit Mountain, petrographs from the Mohave Indians can be seen.















The Colorado River offers numerous water activities - boating, fishing, and jet skiing.















Davis Dam controls the water flow of the Colorado River. Although it is closed to traffic due to national security issues, you can still walk around and read some of the descriptive explanations about its operation.















Go to Oatman, Arizona. This side trip is worth the gas and time. Make the Oatman Hotel your first stop to see 60,000 one dollar bills just hanging from the ceiling and tacked to the walls.















Wild burros roam the streets of Oatman. Be sure to take a bag of carrots with you. They will eat right out of your hand, purse, or pocket! This is April, one of my favorite burros.




















Also, in Oatman, watch the Outlaw Gunfighters stage a bank robbery.















Historic Route 66 runs through Oatman. Take this rural two lane from Oatman to Kingman. You'll see spectacular scenery!