• Wednesday-What'sUP September 15 - 06:54 pm

Donna MacIntosh takes us on a mini-tour of the Pinery Indian Cemetery. This resting place is located on the southern shore of Keweenaw Bay, halfway between L'Anse and Pequaming, near the community of Zeba. It's a cemetery quite unique, in that the practice of placing Spirit Houses on the graves, rather than the traditional grave markers, is still in use there. According to the sign in the first photo, these "houses" are used to provide a place to leave necessary items that the spirit of the deceased will need to make the 4 day journey to the spirit world. Traditions such as this are fascinating and thanks to Donna, you can take a tour without leaving your desk. If you have a few minutes, click on over to her Gallery album for a slideshow of her trip to the sacred ground. Once you get there, just follow the directions to start the "Full Screen" tour.

It was a pleasure for Edie and I to visit this special place recently, along with her chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Our thanks to Donna for taking such a nice collection of pictures.

I visited this cemetery in August. It definitely was unique and is a very peaceful, beautiful resting place. I love the dreamcatchers and other Native American artwork in Donna's pictures. I didn't see anything like that when I was there. I wonder if those items were placed during the traditional feast for the dead. I've always found the Chippewa culture to be very fascinating. Thanks for the great pictures.

This is all so interesting. I've never heard of this place. Another thing to add on my to do list.

For a minute I thought these were my pictures! That's not the first time that's happened. This cemetary is beautiful and peaceful in the fall with leaves crunching underfoot.

Fascinating! Thank you, Donna.

The second picture reminds me somewhat of Estonian cemeteries, well-groomed with numerous benches so the living can rest when honoring the dead.

great picture nice to see an interest in the history of the anishinabe great people i remain walter p.

A nice little story I heard has a non-native person belittling a Native American for offering food to the ancestors because they "can't eat it." To which the Native American replied something like "And yours can smell the flowers you bring them?" Thanks for the lovely photos and recalling that story of tolerance and understanding to my mind again.

the circular object in the last photo is a dream catcher.i wonder if someone placed it to help the spirits move on to they're next destination?

I have never been here, but there is a Chippewa cemetery near Bay Mills with the traditional houses over the graves that I have seen.

Was there and visited this Cemetary Approx 50 yrs ago. Was impressed with it then and was glad to see the pictures today. Remember the Spirit Houses over the graves. The time I was there there were some new graves of Korean War Soldiers. Very moveing and facinateing place.

I took the family here about seven years ago.We were camping at Baraga State Park.I have it on video,didn't take any still's.We often go to Cherokee,N.C.Barbie has some Cherokee blood in her family dating back to the Cades Cove ancestors.Our home has many Indain pictures,dreamcatchers,ect.Cherokee and Chippewa people are some proud folks and dressed as such.Thank you Donna.

Richard, thanks for sharing your story about the food and flowers offerings. It's funny and a good one to remember. Many thanks to Joyce for sharing these pictures and the information. I didn't know about 'spirit houses' or the four day journey of the dead and found it very interesting.

From the time I was a small child my dad and mom would take the family to visit this cemetry once a year in the summer. We would always visit and be facinated by the little houses. My dad would explain them and why the food and other items were left there. He wanted us to know and understand and respect other people's culture. I never forgot how we would say a prayer for the dead that were buired there at that time. May all thoses souls rest in peace. What a beautiful tribute to those loved ones.

There is also a Native American cemetery on Sugar Island that has spirit houses. Wind-chimes have been hung in the trees; when a breeze blows through the many different types of chimes join together to make a beautiful and peaceful sound, like the spirits themselves are moving through the trees. Is this the one called Bay Mills?

My dad often took me to this cemetery when I was a child. He knew
many of the families that had loved ones buried there. In fact, we
just went again last year. My daughter and I visited it this summer.
We also visited the Methodist church at Zeba. It is a beautiful place
of worship--mixing Christian and Native symbols.

Notroll--That is a good story. I' do my best to pass it on to friends
I know will appreciate it.

Oops--That's I'll in the previous message.

I remember seeing the houses at the Native American cemetary just east of Ashland, Wisconsin. Fasinating. Also enjoyed seeing cemetarites in Ireland. Those go back hundreds of years! In 1980 when I was there it was rather interesting to see the graves decorated with plastic containers that held plastic flowers. The containes remind me of those we get baked goods in at Wal Mart, clear firm plastic.

The cemetery in Brimley up on the hill is Mission Hill.