For the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, ezhibiigaadek asin is a sacred place. Teachings from their Anishinabe ancestors are embedded in this rock art site that holds over 100 petroglyphs. Anishinabe cultural knowledge relates the importance of sharing aspects of these teachings. Yet concerns have arisen over what the Saginaw Chippewa consider to be inappropriate uses of the teachings, particularly in relation to commercialization of the images written on the stone. There is also concern that some of the petroglyphs are fading, and others have been vandalized. Dr. Sonya Atalay, who is Anishinabe-Ojibwe and an assistant professor at Indiana University, will collaborate with the Saginaw Chippewa’s Ziibiwing Cultural Society to explore these issues, with the goal of creating a plan to protect and control the use of the ezhibiigaadek asin site.
