Monday, July 22, 2024

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is one step closer to regaining ownership of a 187 acre chunk of land on the Leelanau Peninsula.

Interlochen Public Radio environment reporter Ellie Katz has more.

The site on Grand Traverse Bay between Omena and Northport was once home to the Timber Shores campground.

It was later eyed for luxury condos with a private marina and most recently a group wanted to turn it into an RV park and campground.

Before any of that, it was ancestral land of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians that had been illegally transferred to private ownership in 1855.

But with new grant money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ), that could change.

A local nonprofit called New Community Vision will use the grant money and their own fundraising to purchase the land, then transfer it to the tribe’s ownership.

Under the agreement, the site will be renamed Mashkiigaki, which means marsh lands and place of the medicine.

The tribe plans to restore the shoreline, wetlands, and creek corridor, which are important spawning grounds for cisco and other native fish species.

The plan is for it to remain a protected nature preserve with public access in perpetuity.

The 2024 Arctic Thunder Open House took place this weekend at the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, as Jill Fratis from our flagship station KNBA reports.

The open house featured various demonstrations, along with a crowd favorite, the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team.

Karen Rutka is a colonel in the United States Army.

She says not just anyone can become a Golden Knight and that it takes many hours of experience … and dedication.

“There is a very rigorous selection process. You’re probably going to come in, where you’re already skydiver certified. You need to have probably a couple hundred jumps, and then after that, then you go through a very rigorous selection process that’s several weeks long. And then, after you get selected for the team, you have a year long training timeline before you’re fully a true Golden Knights member. And then you get to perform with the rest of the team.”

@nativevoiceone#NationalNativeNews reporter Jill Fratis takes us inside a Paratrooper jump plane at the 2024 Arctic Thunder Open House in Anchorage, Alaska♬ original sound – Native Voice One

Although the team has done thousands of shows through the years and throughout the country, practice and rehearsals can never be skipped.

“Today, we’re going up to 12,500 feet. It’s going to be hot dry, and hot, hot, hot. The first hot will be the narrator Brandon…”

By mid afternoon, the plane was boarded and everyone was strapped in for the 12,500 feet ascent, prepared for the first jump of weekend.

One would think the soldiers would be focused, stoic, and silent waiting for their anticipated dives. Not quite, as paratroopers sing, “Open up the dirty windows.”

After about 30 minutes in the air, one of the men gave the signal that it was go time.

As they got to the opening, they did one last check in before they heard the magic words.

“GO GO GO! See you later!  Okay, ready set go!”

@nativevoiceone#NationalNativeNews reporter Jill Fratis takes us inside a Paratrooper jump plane at the 2024 Arctic Thunder Open House in Anchorage, Alaska♬ original sound – Native Voice One

One by one, the team jumped out, some with signature poses as they fell 12,000-plus miles to a waiting audience down below.

Attached to their ankle were different colored powder canisters to activate mid-air, that would make them more visible.

The men created formation – aerial acrobatics – and before touching ground, pulled out different flags representing the state and country.

After all was said and done, the team gathered their parachutes and made their way to one of the U.S. Army bunkers to roll them back up, and prepare for the last show Sunday.