At daybreak Friday, a handcrafted Native American birchbark canoe launched into Lake Michigan from a beach in Evanston.
The last time that happened was likely nearly two centuries ago — when Native American tribes were displaced from the Chicago/Evanston area and their land transferred to the federal government, eventually becoming the state of Illinois.
The canoe-building project was led by Wayne Valliere, a Native American canoe builder and artist-in-residence at Northwestern University dedicated to preserving this indigenous art form.
Press listen above to hear more about the year-long project that’s been a homecoming for Chicago’s Native American community.
