Joseph Bruchac's visit was coordinated with Native American Awareness month
BARAGA -- An award-winning Native American author visited with students in the Baraga on Wednesday in coordination with Native American Awareness month.
Joseph Bruchac is a storyteller and writer who lives and writes in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York. He has written a number of books that draw on that land and his native ancestry. His latest book entitled, Keepers of the Earth, has sold over a million copies.
On Wednesday morning, Bruchac signed some of his books for students in the library at the Baraga Area Schools. Later in the afternoon, he gave separate assemblies to the elementary and high school students about relationships within themselves and with the world as a whole.
Bruchac said, "We are meant to be in balance to work together in cooperation in a peaceful way and that although there is difficulty, there are ways we can restore balance."
Denise Laakko, the library tech for the Baraga Area Schools, said the visit was made possible by school district administration, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Education Committee, the Ojibwa Library, and the Keweenaw Bay Trial Council.
"It's just a really good example of adults working together in a community for the good of the students," Laakko said.
Bruchac is giving a free, family-oriented presentation on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Ojibwa Community College. The evening will include storytelling and music.
He will also be part of a presentation on Thursday afternoon at Northern Michigan University at 1 p.m. That is in the Mead Auditorium in the West Science Hall and is free and open to the public.
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