River Talks to Feature Stories of Spirit Island

The next River Talk will take place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 12, in person at the Lake Superior Estuarium (3 Marina Dr., Superior, Wisconsin). Jeff Savage, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa cultural center and museum director, will share, “Stories of Spirit Island.”

On the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River in a widening called Spirit Lake, lies Spirit Island. This small island is of spiritual and cultural significance to the Ojibwe people and was the second-to-last stop on their migration to this area from the East Coast. The Fond du Lac Band bought the island from a private seller in 2011 and it’s an important site of stories, both past and present.

The event will last an hour and will include time for comments and questions. Refreshments will be provided. Use of facial masks is required for safety. The talk summary will be posted on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s blog. In case of inclement weather or pandemic-related shutdowns, this event will shift to virtual. Watch the Reserve’s or Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Facebook pages for further information.

Other River Talks will be held Feb. 9, March 8, April 13 and May 11, 2022. For more information, visit the River Talks page: go.wisc.edu/4uz720.

The River Talks are sponsored by The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program.