The first memorial signage of the Bodéwadmi-Myaamia (Potawatomi-Miami) Trail was unveiled Sept. 29 at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.

The project was an initiative of the Potawatomi and Miami Trail Marker Group in partnership with AMBS, Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes and Mennonite Mission Network. Along with the main sign, three others detail a spur trail to the St. Joseph River.

“It is with great joy that MCC Great Lakes celebrates the first memorial signage of the Bodéwadmi-Myaamia Trail,” said Juan Pacheco Lozano, MCC Great Lakes peace and justice coordinator and a member of the Trail Marker Group. “We are grateful to be part of this initiative seeking to repair historic harm and recognize those present in the land before us. We hope this project raises awareness in the community about Indigenous people who are still our neighbors.”

A longer-term goal is to mark the route across northern Indiana through private properties and county land.

The 145-mile trail holds profound importance as a route traversed by the Bodéwadmi and Myaamia peoples, two of the original Indigenous communities who have lived in the Great Lakes Region for thousands of years. This trail was a lifeline that facilitated trade, cultural exchange and connections between communities.

“For too long the Indigenous peoples of this region — and their history — have been ignored,” said Luke Gascho, executive director emeritus of Goshen College’s Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, who has researched and given presentations on the trail and its significance. “Marking this Indigenous route through the landscape of northern Indiana is a way of honoring the Potawatomi and Miami people.”

This event was part of the seminary’s Rooted and Grounded Conference on Land and Christian Discipleship. Kaitlin Curtice, a Potawatomi author and speaker, was one of the keynote speakers.