LAC DU FLAMBEAU – Billed as the centerpiece for Ojibwe cultural sharing and education for the Northwoods, the weekly summer Lac du Flambeau Indian Bowl events have been taking place for almost 75 years.
The series of weekly mini pow wows and cultural demonstrations on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation are advertised on TV commercials throughout the Northwoods inviting anyone to visit and learn a little about Ojibwe culture. They have been going on since 1951.
“I grew up in the area and this is my first time (at the Indian Bowl),” said Kathy DeLorme, who was visiting last week from Phoenix, Ariz. “I think it’s great.”
Her daughter, Chenoa Morrison, said she really enjoyed a hoop dance performance by Ronnie Preston, who also works as the cultural director at the American Indian Center in Chicago.
In 1965, the Indian Bowl garnered national attention when former U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife Mamie visited the Indian Bowl. In an Ojibwe naming ceremony, Eisenhower was given the name Giniw-Wi-Giizhig, or Golden Eagle, in honor of his visit.