By Mary Fairchild Maquoketa River Trail; 6/15/14. In June my two daughters joined me for a river clean-up and local archaeology paddle on the Maquoketa River with Iowa archaeologist Elizabeth Reetz. There are two forks of the Maquoketa River that meander through Jackson County for about 50 miles and meet up just north of the…
Category: Native Ameircans
Sea Kayaking Narragansett Bay: Native American Footpaths and Soul Freedom
By Mary Fairchild (Mfairlady.com) Audubon Society George B. Parker Woodland, Coventry, Rhode Island. “Williams(Roger), lacking the resources… got about by canoe, sometimes likely with a sail rigged…Canoeing, even in protected bays meant confronting sometimes breaking surf and routinely strong currents, heavy swells, whitecaps, and wind; occasional exposure to open ocean increased the danger exponentially.” (4; Barry, p….
Kayaking the Apostle Islands: Kennedys, Native Americans, Religion, and Myth
By Mary Fairchild Paddling around Eagle Island, 2009; the island is protected by Critical Species Natural Area. Last fall, on September 24th, Chequamegon Bay JFK Day marked Kennedy’s visit to the Apostle Islands area thirty years ago (Sept. 24, 1963). Chequamegon was applied to the region by traders and missionaries which derives from a Chippewa(Ojibwe) word, shagwaumikong, meaning soft beaver dam….
Old Copper Culture: A Visit With Pete Stark of Oconto’s Historical Society
By Mary Fairchild Pete Stark. This is a picture of Pete Stark with our family’s ancient Indian artifact–an authentic copper celt. Pete, Vice President of the Oconto Historical Society, is an expert on the Old Copper Culture. The Old Copper Culture refers to the items made by early inhabitants of the Great Lakes region. We…
Paddling Lake Okoboji: Once Considered One of Only Three Blue Lakes in the World
(Arnold’s Park; Set on Flickr) West Okoboji Lake is located to the south and west of the City of Okoboji and northwest of the City of Arnold’s Park in northwest Iowa. Last week I was able to paddle some of my favorite areas of the lake where we frequently vacation with my husband’s family. Vacation…