Photo By Scott Sturkol | Michael Charette, also known as Laughing Fox, with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior...... read more read more
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Michael Charette, also known as Laughing Fox, with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa shared his people’s history through story and music during his presentation for the 2024 Fort McCoy Native American Heritage Month observance Nov. 19 at Fort McCoy.
Charette is a Native American storyteller and flutist. He also gave the presentation for this monthly observance at Fort McCoy in 2023.
During his presentation, Charette told stories and played music for the dozens in attendance.
“The last time I was here, I believe the staff sergeant had presented … that indigenous folks started coming over here some 35,000 years ago,” Charette said. “We started across that land bridge. But when I say this to my elders back home, they very much tell us that … that’s their story of how this place was populated. Because we, as indigenous people, have all of our own creation stories that were gifts from us by the creator and by the spirits to help guide us along our path.
“And a lot of times they'll even tell me that, you know, there are more tracks going the other way,” Charette said. “As they had found things like tobacco inside of Egyptian mummies, a new world crop … wild rice as well, another new world crop. So, there’s a lot of questions out there, and it seems like the more of the facts come out, the more our history changes, the more that we look at it.
“When we look at some of those other places that are populated here in North America, I had just come back from visiting Maine, where I was working with Wampanoag people,” Charette said. “And we would visit a site out there that dated back 14,000 years ago. They gave me stone tools that I held in my hands that dated back 4,000 years ago. There’s a spot up here in Lake Superior … and there’s a spot there that carbon dates back to 11,000 years ago. So people have always been living on the south shores of the Great Lakes ever since the melting of the last Ice Age. They found footprints in New Mexico, carbon dating back some 20,000 years ago. They found Lake Superior copper in Mexico, carbon dating back 5,000 years ago.”
Charette’s home, the Red Cliff Reservation, “hugs the northeastern shoreline of the Bayfield Peninsula, nestled between Cornucopia and Bayfield (Wis.) overlooking the Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin,” states the tribe’s website at https://www.redcliff-nsn.gov.
The Red Cliff tribal website also describes more detail about Charette’s culture, which is likely contributes to his artistic presentation.
“Cultural expression in the arts has always been alive at Red Cliff, and today it is experiencing a strong resurgence of interest as the next generation adds new ideas to the old,” the website states. “Whether in the traditional customs of hunting and fishing, gardening and wild food gathering, or in creative talents like manufacturing clothing and jewelry, or drawing and painting, writing, story-telling, poetry, and of course, song and dance –– all these cultural talents provide a colorful window open to community life.”
The site also states, “Ojibwe culture is a woodland culture, and this is reflected in the peoples’ artistic endeavors. They celebrate the world around them –– their land, waters, forests, heavens, and the life within. The richness of this celebration comes out through their artistic expression.”
Charette’s performance lasted nearly an hour, and he was dressed in his native clothing to enhance the performance. He played several original songs on several styles of flutes and sang as well.
Charette said he was glad to return to Fort McCoy and perform once again.
“I could go on about how many of my family members have served (in the military), and some of them no longer with us, but their sacrifices are definitely felt towards our community,” Charette said. “So, to you out there today, I just want to say ‘chi-miigwetch’ for all your service, and all of your hard work that you do out there. And ‘chi-miigwetch’ for inviting me here, and so that we can have some cultural sharing.”
Charette also mentioned the history of America.
“When we look at even how the country was founded, we can see that our founding fathers very much took some of the Iroquois Confederacy government system,” Charette said. “And the Iroquois Confederacy was five different tribes coming together. And they all had different ways of living, different languages.
“But they were able to take all the implements of war, and they buried it,” Charette said. “That’s where that term comes from, burying the hatchet. But our founding fathers, they would look at this governing system, and they would wonder if they could have something different than the British, something different than the French. And they would look at the indigenous people and how they governed themselves. And some would say that this would give birth to democracy, in that sense.
“So, when we think about our indigenous people, and we think about Native American heritage, we have to think about those gifts that our indigenous relatives have given … to the world,” Charette said.
Upon completing his presentation, Charette was presented with a special gift from Fort McCoy Garrison leadership. Then Charette joined a number of attendees for a food sharing time in building 905 where stews and fry bread were shared thanks to the Fort McCoy Religious Support Office.
The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) at Patrick Space Force Base, Fla., stated in a news release in early November that the 2024 Department of Defense (DOD) theme for Native American Heritage Month/American Indian Heritage Month is “Affirming Native Voices: Visibility-Leadership-Service,”
“The theme encapsulates three key values — visibility, leadership, and service — that are not only integral to the observance but also to the DOD and its mission,” the news release states. “Visibility is a testament to our commitment to recognizing and appreciating the diverse backgrounds and experiences that strengthen not only our workforce, but the communities we serve. It is through this visibility that we honor the rich history, traditions, and contributions of all Native American people. Leadership is a cornerstone of our defense community. The theme underscores the importance of Native American leaders, both past and present, whose resilience and wisdom have paved the way for future generations. Their leadership serves as an inspiration for our DOD workforce. Service is at the heart of our mission. The countless Native Americans who have served and continue to serve in our military demonstrate a profound commitment to duty and country. Their service is a powerful reminder of the selfless sacrifices made for the greater good. Throughout November, we encourage you to learn more about the rich heritage of Native Americans, and to recognize their significant contributions to our Nation and our mission.”
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2024 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 485746 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
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