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BELCOURT – The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Heritage Center in Belcourt is an educational resource for not only tribal members but anyone interested in the history of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Expanding those resources has been a focus of center director Danielle Wilkie.

“We will be revamping a lot of displays in the Heritage Center,” she said. “Along with a lot of the art and sculptures that we’ve done in the building here, we’ll be doing a lot more community interaction events.”

The center’s mission is to preserve, promote, protect and educate, she explained. The new displays being planned will provide more information about the history of indigenous people, she said. There will be more items that are typical of a museum setting, including interactive displays, she added.

The most difficult part of center operations is the museum role, Wilkie said. Often artifacts have sustained damage and require restoration before they can be displayed. The requirements for preservation related to the building’s temperature control, humidity and other environmental factors also must be addressed.

As the center is able to conquer these challenges, visitors will see the center’s collections grow, Wilkie said. The center is working with Turtle Mountain College in Belcourt, which has an extensive inventory list of artifacts and a partnership with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., she said.

“We also cultivated a relationship with the Smithsonian in trying to get even more artifacts here at the Heritage Center,” she said.

In addition, the Heritage Center is enhancing its membership packages.

“My goal is to make everything more accessible,” Wilkie said. “We do have membership packages that include a gift shop discount, camp and classes discount, souvenir shirts, newsletters. You don’t have to be tribally enrolled to get any of those benefits for the Heritage Center memberships.”

The center offers memberships for individuals, families and those aged 55 and older.

With more than 34,000 enrolled members dispersed around the country and in Canada, the Heritage Center sees many visitors from out of the area who come to learn more about their heritage, Wilkie said. To accommodate that interest, the center is offering a virtual membership, with camps and classes available via Zoom. It also is increasing its focus on genealogy.

“A goal of ours is to be able to connect family members with relatives and ancestors who may have lived here or who are enrolled here, and really expand on that here in the next year,” Wilkie said.

Another goal this year is to open and operate a community greenhouse to teach people about traditional herbs and medicines, Wilkie said. The center already promotes handmade items of local artists through its gift shop.

“I really want to make it known that anyone and everyone who’s interested in learning about our culture and our history and our heritage is welcome at the Heritage Center, and we’re extremely excited to be able to share those things with anyone and everyone. We will cater to those who do want to learn about it, and if we don’t know the information, we know people who do know the information,” Wilkie said.

Highlights this year at the Heritage Center include:

– February, Ojibwe/English calendar distribution.

– March, Seven Feathers Powwow Program to teach regalia making and dancing styles.

– April, Ojibwe language classes start, in person and Zoom; community garden/greenhouse project.

– May, Tipi construction classes; Ojibwe language classes.

– June, Beading/moccasin making classes in Sky Dancer Casino event center, in person and Zoom.

– July, Language/culture camps.

Sky Dancer Casino & Hotel

Feb. 23-March 8: Family Week

Variety of activities for community members

Feb. 23: Talent show

in event center

Feb. 23: Craft fair and rummage sale in event center

March 27-30: Sky Dancer

pool tournament

Other events

June: Chippewa Downs

horse racing

July 4-6: Dunseith Chief Little Shell Memorial Powwow

July: Turtle Mountain Days,

St. Ann’s Days

August: Ryan Keplin

Summer Fest

Sept. 29-30: Pembina Labor Day Weekend Powwow

Attractions

Ray Keplin Equine Center rodeos and roping

Sky Chief Park

at Gordon Lake

Turtle Island Water Park

Sky HIgh Trampoline Park

Turtle Mountain Chippewa Heritage Center