The Burt Lake (Cheboiganing) Band of Ottawa and Chippewa

The Project staff would like to take this opportunity to explain exactly how you could help impacting future generations of the Burt Lake Band. By signing up to participate as a Committed Project Participant, (CPP—see Traditional Arts Project Description) you will be obliged to participate in the Eyaawing Mentorship Program. This means that at the end of the twenty-four month project you will be ready and willing to teach your chosen Arts to other Burt Lake Band citizens, one person per each of the arts (2) that you learn. In this way we will be preserving our Culture by ensuring that the Arts are available to all Band members who wish to learn.

As envisioned by the grant, we (Project Staff) will provide you with all we can to ensure your success in learning the two arts you select. At the end of the project, you will be asked to donate one item to the Project to sell in support of the Eyaawing Mentorship Program. We will be using the funds to buy needed supplies to assist new and upcoming artists who sign up for Eyaawing.

We will ask that you attend the end of the grant Celebration weekend. At this event, you will have the opportunity to display your completed art pieces and to give demonstrations to the membership. This will encourage other BLB members, showing them that they also can learn the Art, with the help of a committed mentor (yourself) to assist them. We will provide your display table at the celebration weekend with a sign-up sheet for interested members to contact us.

We will work to organize the mentorship program on your behalf and will ensure that it continues after the grant has ended. All you need to focus on is learning and refining your skills and be able to teach it to another member at the end of the 2-year Project.

We look forward to your involvement in Anishinaabe Bimaadizwin Naagademing (Taking care of Our Way of Life) and hope you find this project to be as rewarding as we anticipate it to be.

Sincerely,

Kathy Kae
Traditional Arts Director

Mary Slocum
Traditional Arts Coordinator