News Release

Ojibwe Culture and Fire Presentation

Date: February 3, 2020
Contact: Julie Van Stappen, 7157799119

BAYFIELD, WISCONSIN – Join us for the second 50th Anniversary lecture hosted by Northland College. Damon Gezhiibideg Panek, Park Ranger, will be presenting on Ojibwe Culture and Fire, February 6 at 7:00 pm, at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute in Ashland, Wisconsin. The event is free and open to the public.

“For generations, Native people in the Great Lakes region utilized prescribed fire to improve habitat, increase blueberry production, and clear the understory of vegetation. These frequent, low-intensity fires promoted fire adapted and dependent ecosystems. The medicines, species abundance and diversity, and foods created are what our Anishinaabe culture is rooted in. Our way of seeing the world was developed here around this lake and with fire.” said Damon.

"Damon integrates Ojibwe culture, language, and history into the parks education and interpretation curriculum to provide visitors with a unique way of experiencing the islands,” said lakeshore superintendent, Lynne Dominy. “He is also the fire management coordinator for the park and has been able to integrate the traditional cultural practice of landscape burning into the park’s priorities. The overall goal of this integration is to restore a cultural practice and connection to the landscape of the islands. “

Mark your calendars for the next in the series: Vegetation Legacies and Change (Feb. 27) and the Apostle Islands 50th Anniversary Resource Stewardship Symposium (March 30-31).

For information about the Apostle Islands 50th Anniversary, visit our website. Send 50th Anniversary inquiries via email to [e-mail].

To add an event to the 2020 Anniversary calendar, become a sponsor, or partner with “Friends” to create an anniversary logoed product, visit the website for Friends of the Apostle Islands. “It’s not too late to become an Apostle Islands Anniversary partner,” said Friends of Apostle Islands President, Erica Peterson. “Create an anniversary event, activity or product and we will help promote it for your organization or business while encouraging visitors to join our events and find anniversary logoed products.”

For more information about Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, please visit our website or call [phone]. Join Apostle Island’s on-line conversations on Facebook.