Object Details
- Introduction
- From the State of Michigan, ninety of its residents came to the 1987 Festival to speak about and demonstrate some of the rich traditional culture from that region. To help create a festival setting in which performers of valued traditions could speak about their experiences and heritages with performed music, active demonstrations, and spoken words seemed a most appropriate way to celebrate the sesquicentennial of that geographically endowed, historically important and culturally rich state. Throughout Michigan's history those who migrated to the state have been drawn by - or have themselves introduced - fishing, trapping, mining, lumbering, farming, and automobile manufacturing. The lore of such occupations, combined with the rich ethnic heritage of those who built Michigan, form the essence of the state's traditional culture. Michigan today is home to more than one hundred different nationalities, including the country's largest population of Finns, Belgians, Maltese, and Chaldeans; the second largest numbers of Dutch, Lebanese, and French Canadians; and perhaps the largest concentration of Muslim Arabs (in southeast Dearborn) outside the Middle East. Detroit alone is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country. The heritage of these diverse groups - along with those of Native, Euro Americans, and Afro Americans who migrated to Michigan throughout the state's history - give Michigan folklife its distinctive characteristics. Complementing a full performance schedule that highlighted Michigan's diverse musical heritage, ongoing demonstrations included lure making, fly tying, boat building, Native American quillwork, black ash basketry, finger weaving and beadwork, Dutch wooden shoe making, furniture carving, Afro American quilt making, Palestinian needlework, Ukrainian textiles and egg decorating, ski and sleigh making, decoy carving, rag rug weaving, cherry harvesting & pruning, evergreen nursery techniques, net making, and ice fishing. Betty Belanus, Laurie Sommers, and Thomas Vennum, Jr. served as Curators for the Michigan program, with Laurie Sommers also serving as Program Coordinator and Barbara Lau, as Assistant Program Coordinator. The Michigan Program was made possible by the Michigan Sesquicentennial Commission and the Michigan Department of State.
- Fieldworkers and consultants
- Fieldworkers Dennis Au, Michael Bell, Horace Boyer, John Alan Cicala, Timothy Cochrane, Gregory Cooper, C. Kurt Dewhurst, Stev'e Frangos, Roland Freeman, Janet Gilmore, Alicia María González, James Leary, Yvonne Lockwood, Marsha MacDowell, Phyllis M. May-Machunda, Mario Montaño, Earl Nyholm, Marsha Penti, Roger Pilon, Peter Seitel, Eliot Singer, Laurie Sommers, Nicholas R. Spitzer, Thomas Vennum, Jr. Consultants George Cornell, LuAnne Kozma, Robert McCarl, Oscar Paskal, Barry Lee Pearson, Joseph Spielberg
- Presenters
- Dennis Au, Horace Boyer, C. Kurt Dewhurst, Paul Gifford, Janet Gilmore, James Leary, William Lockwood, Yvonne Lockwood, Marsha MacDowell, Earl Nyholm, Mario Montaño, Roger Pilon, Joseph Spielberg, Nicholas R. Spitzer, Benjamin Wilson
- Participants
- Crafts Samiha Abusalah, Palestinian needle worker, Dearborn, Michigan James Baker, wooden shoe maker, Holland, Michigan Catherine Baldwin, 1935-2001, Ottawa quill worker, Suttons Bay, Michigan Amnah Baraka, Palestinian needle worker, Dearborn, Michigan Chou Chang, Hmong textile artist, Detroit, Michigan Rita L. Corbiere, Ojibwa quill worker, storyteller, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Alice Fox, 1916-1995, Ojibwa quill worker, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Russell Johnson, 1918-, blacksmith, Strongs, Michigan Arnold Klein, Jr., Ukrainian embroiderer, egg decorator, Hamtramck, Michigan George McGeshick, Ojibwa birch bark canoe builder, Iron River, Michigan Mary McGeshick, Ojibwa cradle board decorator, Iron River, Michigan Yer Yang Mua, Hmong textile artist, Detroit, Michigan Julia Nyholm, 1913-2005, Ojibwa finger weaver, bead worker, Crystal Falls, Michigan Gust Pietilla, 1906-1999, ski, sleigh and tool maker, Bruce Crossing, Michigan Agnes Rapp, 1920-2003, Ottawa-Potawatomi black ash basket maker, Berrien Springs, Michigan Glen Van Antwerp, cedar fan carver, Lansing, Michigan Lloyd Van Doornik, mas¬ter carver, furniture maker, Holland, Michigan Julia Wesaw, 1908-1992, Potawatomi black ash basket maker, Hartford, Michigan Rosie Wilkins, 1905-1994, quilt maker, Muskegon, Michigan Foodways Helen Mohammed Atwell, 1934-2003, Lebanese cook, Dearborn, Michigan Marguerite L. Berry-Jackson, storyteller, cook, herbalist, Lansing, Michigan Lucille Brown, 1917-1996, pasty maker, Wakefield, Michigan Marie L. Cross, storyteller, cook, herbalist, Mecosta, Michigan Eustacio Y. Flores, Jr., Mexican-American cook, Grand Rapids, Michigan Anna E. Lassila, 1909-2001, pasty maker, rag rug weaver, Mohawk, Michigan Elda Peltier, 1915-2005, muskrat cook, Monroe, Michigan Hudson "Huddy" Peltier, 1912-2003, muskrat cook, Monroe, Michigan Music The Hammon Family, bluegrass, country, gospel music -- The Hammon Family, bluegrass, country, gospel musicGeorge "Dub" Hammon, bass player, vocalist¬, Davison, MichiganMarge Hammon, mandolin player, vocalist, Davison, MichiganMel Hammon, fiddle player, vocalist, Davison, MichiganRon Hammon, guitar player, vocalist, Davison, Michigan Judy & Her Suchey Brothers, polka band -- Judy & Her Suchey Brothers, polka bandMike Kindt, bass player, Alpena, MichiganBill Suchey, Jr., trumpet player, Alpena, MichiganBob Suchey, saxophone player, Alpena, MichiganJim Suchey, accordion player, Alpena, MichiganJudy Suchey, drummer, Alpena, MichiganMike Suchey, trumpet player, Alpena, Michigan Rev. Andre Woods & The Chosen, gospel music -- Rev. Andre Woods & The Chosen, gospel musicSederia Butler, soprano, Detroit, MichiganDawn Byers, alto, Detroit, MichiganStephanie Colfield, drummer, Westland, MichiganEarl Fisher, tenor, Detroit, MichiganCraig Harris, bass guitar player, Cleveland, Ohio, MichiganGrenee Hunter, alto, Detroit, MichiganWillie Lucas, tenor, Detroit, MichiganRenee Thomas, soprano, Detroit, MichiganDana Wilcox, soprano, Detroit, MichiganRev. Andre Woods, arranger, director, Detroit, Michigan Sensational Gospel Tones -- Sensational Gospel TonesAlfred Charleston, Grand Rapids, MichiganDonald Charleston, lead guitar and bass player, Grand Rapids, MichiganJuanita Charleston, Grand Rapids, MichiganRev. Leon Charleston, Grand Rapids, MichiganHenrietta Fields, Grand Rapids, MichiganTanya Johnson, vocalist, drummer, Grand Rapids, MichiganNathaniel Smith, Grand Rapids, Michigan Sugar Island Boys, Anglo-French string band -- Sugar Island Boys, Anglo-French string bandRené Coté, fiddle player, Ontario, CanadaHoney McCoy, 1904-1988, piano player, vocalist, Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganJoe Menard, 1935-, guitar player, vocalist, Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganTom Stevens, Dobro player, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Bill Stimac & Sons, music from the Keweenaw Peninsula -- Bill Stimac & Sons, music from the Keweenaw PeninsulaBill Stimac, 1923-, accordion player, Houghton, MichiganMark Stimac, 1956-, banjo and guitar player, Houghton, MichiganRandy Stimac, 1958-, accordion player, Houghton, Michigan Thimbleberry, Finnish music -- Thimbleberry, Finnish musicEd Lauluma, 1921-2005, fiddle player, Chassell, MichiganAl Reko, 1933-, accordion player, vocalist, St. Paul, Minnesota, MichiganOren Tikkanen, mandolin and guitar player, Calumet, Michigan Tomicic Brothers Orchestra, tamburitza music -- Tomicic Brothers Orchestra, tamburitza musicMike Cani, cello player, Detroit, MichiganJoel Novosel, bass player, Detroit, MichiganGeorge Patrash, pugaria player, Detroit, MichiganMike Tomicić, first brac player, Windsor, Ontario, CanadaPeter Tomicić, second brac player, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Yemeni Folkloric Dance Group, Arab village music -- Yemeni Folkloric Dance Group, Arab village musicSaleh Alward, dancer, Dearborn, MichiganMohsin Elgabri, dramatist, dancer, Oud player, Dearborn, MichiganAlsanabani Faris, dancer, Dearborn, MichiganSaeed Masjahri, dancer, Dearborn, MichiganM. Aideroos Mohsen, dancer, Dearborn, MichiganAbdo Ali Saeed, dancer, Dearborn, MichiganOmar A. Wahashi, oud and tabla player, Dearborn, Michigan Rose Mae Menard, 1901-1988, come¬dienne, storyteller, herbalist, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Art Moilanen, 1916-1995, vocalist, accordion player, Mass City, Michigan Les Raber, fiddle player, Hastings, Michigan Isaiah "Dr." Ross, 1925-1993, blues musician, Flint, Michigan Occupations Esperanza Alcala, ever¬green nursery worker, Grand Haven, Michigan Steven B. Fouch, 1952-, cherry grower, extension agent, Grawn, Michigan Elias Lopez, 1935-2004, evergreen nursery worker, Grand Haven, Michigan Damien Lunning, trapper, Mio, Michigan Judith Lunning, trapper, game cook, Mio, Michigan Pedro Rodriguez, ever¬green nursery worker, Grand Haven, Michigan Personal Experience Narrative, Flint Sit-Down Strike Fred Ahearn, 1910-1991, Flint, Michigan Burt Christenson, Flint, Michigan Shirley Foster, Flint, Michigan Berdene "Bud" Simons, Newport Richey, Florida Nellie Simons, Newport Richey, Florida Waterways Josephine F. Sedlecky-Borsum, sports shop owner, fly tier, Baldwin, Michigan Ray Davison, Great Lakes fisherman, Menominee, Michigan Dick Grabowski, 1931-2006, Great Lakes fisherman, Menominee, Michigan Charlie Nylund, 1933-, Great Lakes fisherman, Menominee, Michigan Jay Stephan, river guide, boat builder, Grayling, Michigan Elman G. "Bud" Stewart, 1913-1999, lure maker, Alpena, Michigan Jim Wicks, ice fisherman, decoy carver, McMillan, Michigan Ralph Wilcox, Great Lakes fisherman, fish smoker, Brimley, Michigan David Wyss, river guide, boat builder, fly tier, Grayling, Michigan
- Collection Creator
- Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- See more items in
- Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1987 Festival of American Folklife
- Archival Repository
- Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
- Identifier
- CFCH.SFF.1987, Series 4
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1987 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
- Collection Rights
- Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
- Record ID
- ebl-1503511975491-1503511975499-3
