The land can appear to be very far away when you’re paddling on the wide expanse of Little Traverse Bay, Michigan. Even safely seated within a Native American jiimaan — a large, wooden canoe — the bay can be an adventure when the winds blow in from Lake Michigan.
Travelers to north central Michigan can board a jiimaan during the Festival on the Bay, Aug. 14–16, at the waterfront in Petoskey. The free excursions are sponsored by the Odawa Institute of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. (The Institute also schedules special paddles by prior arrangement for groups of 10 or more; there is no charge, although donations are accepted.)
Maneuvering the 34-foot-long, 5-foot-wide boat requires the cooperative effort of at least 10 people and a guide who has knowledge of both the weather and whims of the bay, as well as the leadership skills needed to focus all of the paddlers on the task at hand.
“OK, I need a lead paddle on each side,” says Fred Harrington, an information technology professor at North Central Michigan College and tribal councilor for the Waganakising Odawa. “Those of you behind the lead should follow the lead’s stroke. You will find your rhythm.”
Even for those who have paddled a canoe, the Jiimaan provides a novel experience due to the craft’s size and the number of paddlers. Eventually, however, the crew relaxes enough to try learning “Miinan Nagamowin” (“The Berry Song”), repeating the lyrics with Harrington. The song helps the paddlers develop a better flow to their stroke pattern. Meanwhile, Harrington tells stories about the land around the bay and the original village of the Waganakising Odawa that once supported a population of 30,000.
Through the Odawa Institute, a local group built the jiimaan a few years ago. “We used plans retrieved from the Smithsonian Institution for size and shape,” said Harrington. “The seats are a definitely modern adaptation. [They] are a little higher than they should be, but tradition and culture shouldn’t exclude comfort!”