Walpole Island First Nation shared the following post and photos from the Dearborn Historical Museum:
“With Indigenous Peoples Day coming up, we wanted to share these October 1951 images of the Anishinaabe (Chippewa, Potawatomi, Ottawa) of Walpole Island set up at our the Commandant’s Quarters. Decades ago, Native Americans were often forced to conform to stereotypes at events which means there are several issues visible in these photos. Most notably, Native Americans in this region didn’t use Tipis. The Anishinaabe tended to use a domed wooden dwelling known as a wigwam while tribes to the east of Detroit used larger wooden structures known as longhouses. Also notable in the images are the presence of feathered headdresses. Full feathered headdresses or war bonnets like what is visible in the photos would have only been worn by a limited number of Great Plains tribes.”
If you have an old photo, or video, that you would like to see on the Sydenham Current, let us know by sending us an email to sydenhamcurrent@gmail.com.
