Respecting Our Past
- We as Ojibwe people are culturally very proud of our history and feel
a deep spiritual connection to our ancestors who have come and
gone before us. The old burial ground (on hwy 2 just before the
Bad River bridge) is one of several ancestral burial sites in Bad
River. However, this specific historic burial site has endured more
than just the elements of mother nature and time, It has also endured
a major highway constructed directly through a good portion of it. And
up until recently, these ancient burial grounds often served as a
wayside pit-stop for out of town travelers to relieve themselves and
their pets. Due to strong membership outcry, the wayside access to
the burial grounds are now blocked by construction barricades and a
few sandbags to hold them up. These barricades remain a constant
reminder of the wrong doings and the lack of respect historically
shown to us by the white man. Every time I pass by on the highway I
feel sad and ashamed. I feel this way because our ancestors who
have made their journey before us deserve better and we as a tribe
should be protecting these sacred lands. The other day I was driving
by the old burial grounds when I spotted a large election billboard for
Butch Lemieux tacked to a group of trees within the barricades on the
sacred soil. I felt it to be very tasteless and disrespectful to deface
this resting place of our ancestors with campaign spam. Initially I felt
extremely embarrassed for him. Then the embarrassment slowly
morphed to anger as I recalled the history of this burial place and the
repeated instances of desecration this particular site has endured.
The old wooden burial huts may have been washed away by time and
the often unforgiving northland weather. But the love and respect we
hold for our history and ancestors shall remain in our hearts forever.
We must never forget!
