9am - Campground open for instructor arrivals.

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3pm - Campground open for general participant arrival

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6pm - Instructor/volunteer reunion and dinner. 

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This is a meal hosted by the council to show our gratitude for instructors and volunteers, and to connect as a community. All instructors, volunteers, and their families are welcome to attend. 

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9am - Registration open

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Council members will be present at the registration tent to answer questions, guide people, and check people in! 

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10am - Instructor meeting

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2-5pm - "Class Symposium"  free admission to the public!

 

The class symposium is a time for instructors to demonstrate and display their crafts, particularly those they will be teaching during the week. Instructors will set up along the main road of camp with their materials out, actively working and ready to answer questions, give introductions to the classes, and trade/sell their wares. This is the best time to get your name on a class list by speaking to the instructors directly! The class symposium is open to the general public, so expect to see many local community members walking around and chatting this afternoon. 

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​6pm - Women's circle

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The women's circle is a talking circle held by and for women. It was started at the gathering early on, and has become an important tradition for many in the gathering community. Anyone who feels they belong at a women's circle is welcome to attend.

8am - Morning circle

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Workshops begin and run 9am-5pm.

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The full workshop list & schedule is available on-site beginning Sunday evening.

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Workshops Continue 9am-5pm.

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Often we play Baaga'adowe this evening with local youth!

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Baaga'adowe, also referred to as "traditional lacrosse" or "the creators game" by many, is an Ojibwe stick-and-ball game that has been played in this region for many generations. Versions of this game exist across turtle island, and it is these games that are the ancestors of what eventually became "modern lacrosse", perhaps better described as "settler lacrosse" or "colonized lacrosse." The game is very much alive in the local Bad River community, and often we have the exciting opportunity to welcome Bad River youth into our gathering to share the game with us! 

Workshops Continue 9am-5pm.

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Often there is a speaker that comes to share on a topic of interest this evening!

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Typically this has to do with ecology, craft, or the local area. Topics we have had in the past include: Lake Superior Geology, Mycology of The Northwoods (Fungi & Mushrooms), Stories of Journeys Around Gitchigumi, Ojibwe Storytelling, Screening of The Bad River Film.

Workshops Continue 9am-5pm.

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Often this evening is when the trade blanket happens!

 

The trade blanket is a large circle of people with a blanket in the middle. Individuals take turns putting out items they would like to trade, and others come up to make offers by putting their items on the blanket as well. Our trade blanket is facilitated by members of the council, and involves no speaking. It is a place to make exciting trades, and it is a form of entertainment for the whole crowd! It also reminds us what exchange may have once felt like for our ancestors trading between places and cultures. 

Workshops Continue 9am-4pm.

 

Potluck feast, trad ways cabaret and/or called dancing happens this evening!

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We will end classes early this day so that people have time to return to their camps and prepare a dish for the potluck. At 6pm everyone will bring their dishes to the field in front of the round house, and gather for a feast! There is sage burned for the food and people, a spirit plate gathered, and words shared before the meal. Often there is a show put together to showcase the talents and artistry of the community, with lots of music, poetry, acting and laughter. There is also often a local band that comes to play live music that we can dance to later in the evening! Every year the order of these things look a little different, so don't expect it to go exactly as it it written here. 

Closing Circle in the Morning.

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Closing circle is a talking circle at the close of the gathering, a chance for people to speak from their heart and share some parting words in front of the round house before we all walk our separate ways. It is optional, and everyone is welcome. 

Campsite closes at 6pm.

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Everyone must be out by this time. Gigawaabamin!

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