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Destination Series Coming in 2025: Mexico

About Our Destination Series

Vicksburg Arts created the Destination Series in 2016 to immerse southern Kalamazoo County in another culture through arts, tradition, storytelling, and food, increasing global awareness and understanding. Our audiences have "visited" Ukraine, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, rural America, Scandinavia, Venezuela, Japan, and most recently, Indigenous Nations.


Various art exhibits, cooking demonstrations, hands-on crafts, games, literary works, authentic meals, live music, and panel discussions have infused the community with knowledge and a deeper appreciation for these cultures.

Visit our Archives

Destination Series

Building Understanding and Healing

October 3 - October 25, 2023

(Note: downloading the PDF lets you make reservations using the embedded links.)

Download PDF

Biographies of Cultural Presenters, Guest Speakers, Artists

Madalene Big Bear

Madalene Big Bear

Madalene Big Bear

Great Lakes Knowledge Bearer

Tribal  Member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

  

Madelene teaches decolonizing diets by reintroducing Great Lakes indigenous foodways knowledge into this territory. She’s been featured in a local PBS cooking episode and currently does a Meijer corporate yearly Indigenous cooking broadcast. She works with parks

Great Lakes Knowledge Bearer

Tribal  Member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

  

Madelene teaches decolonizing diets by reintroducing Great Lakes indigenous foodways knowledge into this territory. She’s been featured in a local PBS cooking episode and currently does a Meijer corporate yearly Indigenous cooking broadcast. She works with parks and preserves, engaging in Native land use. Most of her work is rooted in being a steward of the land. She is an advocate for Neshnabek and all of their relatives.

Angeline Boulley

Madalene Big Bear

Madalene Big Bear

 Author of Firekeeper’s Daughter

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

  

Angeline is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Firekeeper’s Daughter is her debut novel, and was an

 Author of Firekeeper’s Daughter

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

  

Angeline is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Firekeeper’s Daughter is her debut novel, and was an instant #1 NYT Bestseller. The book has been named the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, the Printz Award, the William C. Morris award for YA debut literature, and was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book. She recently released her second novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Chris Czopek

Madalene Big Bear

Chris Czopek

  Historian, Author, Speaker

  

Chris Czopek is a Civil War History Detective. Among his most notable work, Chris was a consultant for a documentary shown on The History Channel "Indian Warriors: The Untold Story of the Civil War," first airing in 2006 and Assistant Producer and lead speaker in the award-winning PBS film documentary “Road t

  Historian, Author, Speaker

  

Chris Czopek is a Civil War History Detective. Among his most notable work, Chris was a consultant for a documentary shown on The History Channel "Indian Warriors: The Untold Story of the Civil War," first airing in 2006 and Assistant Producer and lead speaker in the award-winning PBS film documentary “Road to Andersonville,” airing in 2013. He authored “Who Was Who in Company K: Reliable Facts About Native American Soldiers in Company K, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters, During the Civil War, 1861-1865” in 2015.

Kevin Harris Sr

Kevin Harris Sr

Kevin Harris Sr

  Tribal Member Elder 

of the

 Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi  


Kevin Harris Sr. Culture Committee member of NHBP and Traditional dancer and Firekeeper for the Potawatomi nations. Also, is knowledgeable of the Potawatomi history and culture. Attending traditional powwows, vending arts and printing shirts as a hobby. Tribal elder i

  Tribal Member Elder 

of the

 Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi  


Kevin Harris Sr. Culture Committee member of NHBP and Traditional dancer and Firekeeper for the Potawatomi nations. Also, is knowledgeable of the Potawatomi history and culture. Attending traditional powwows, vending arts and printing shirts as a hobby. Tribal elder is also Knowledgeable in white bison teachings for sobriety. Kevin Harris sr. Spent over 15 years revitalizing culture and practicing sobriety for Hannahville Potawatomi nation and passing his teachings down to his children.

Kevin Harris II

Kevin Harris Sr

Kevin Harris Sr

Tribal Member of the

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi 

Presenter, storyteller, artist, cultural specialist

  

 Kevin is a Culture Specialist and active community member in the culture of the NHBP, Ceremonies, Student of Potawatomi Language and College Student. Conducts cultural presentations and assists with revitalizing the culture,

Tribal Member of the

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi 

Presenter, storyteller, artist, cultural specialist

  

 Kevin is a Culture Specialist and active community member in the culture of the NHBP, Ceremonies, Student of Potawatomi Language and College Student. Conducts cultural presentations and assists with revitalizing the culture, Food Sovereignty and History of NHBP. Kevin is also a Native Pop Art artist and Board Member of a nonprofit organization for the NHBP. 

Fred Jacko

Kevin Harris Sr

Fred Jacko

   Tribal Member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians

Odawa Artisan 

Culture Department Manager for the NHBP 

  

 Fred has served as the manager for the Cultural and Historic Preservation Office since 2016. He is Odawa Anishinaabe and is Bear Clan. Fred serves as a cultural advisor to the NHBP and the surrounding community.

   Tribal Member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians

Odawa Artisan 

Culture Department Manager for the NHBP 

  

 Fred has served as the manager for the Cultural and Historic Preservation Office since 2016. He is Odawa Anishinaabe and is Bear Clan. Fred serves as a cultural advisor to the NHBP and the surrounding community. He is an active member of the traditional community and works to better the position of Anishinaabe in southern Michigan. 

Cindy Krill

Dr. Pamela Lyles

Dr. Pamela Lyles

  Artist in Watercolor, Acrylics, Digital Photography and Pottery

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians


 Cindy is well-known locally for her nature-inspired pottery, which is showcased each November with a sale at Prudential Nursery, owned by Cindy and her husband Charlie. Each year, she invites other well-known ar

  Artist in Watercolor, Acrylics, Digital Photography and Pottery

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians


 Cindy is well-known locally for her nature-inspired pottery, which is showcased each November with a sale at Prudential Nursery, owned by Cindy and her husband Charlie. Each year, she invites other well-known area potters and artists to show their wares. Cindy has most recently received awards for her stunning digitally altered photographs of Native Americans in Pow Wow regalia. 

Dr. Pamela Lyles

Dr. Pamela Lyles

Dr. Pamela Lyles

  Author of Firekeeper’s Daughter

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

  

  Dr. Pamela Lyles is a painter and craftsperson with ancestors from Potawatomi and Cherokee tribes. Her paternal great, great, great grandmother shared stories about her experiences on the Trail of Tears. This background influenced the subje

  Author of Firekeeper’s Daughter

Tribal Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

  

  Dr. Pamela Lyles is a painter and craftsperson with ancestors from Potawatomi and Cherokee tribes. Her paternal great, great, great grandmother shared stories about her experiences on the Trail of Tears. This background influenced the subject matter of Lyles’ painting, including eagles, wolves, healers, children in ceremonial dress, and images of wise women. Pamela has a doctorate in Education Administration and has decades of experience teaching textiles and painting in Abilene, Texas and on the Navajo Reservation in Pinon, Arizona.

Doug Taylor

Dr. Pamela Lyles

Doug Taylor

Tribal Member  Elder and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the 

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi


  

  Douglas Taylor was born and raised on Pine Creek reservation. He served in the US Army as a Combat engineer in the Airborne until his retirement from service. Doug returned to Pine Creek and joined the Veterans Committee. Duri

Tribal Member  Elder and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the 

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi


  

  Douglas Taylor was born and raised on Pine Creek reservation. He served in the US Army as a Combat engineer in the Airborne until his retirement from service. Doug returned to Pine Creek and joined the Veterans Committee. During Doug’s tenure on the committee, the NHBP CEO approached the committee to seek instruction on veteran roles in ancestral repatriation. This work led to Doug becoming a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the NHBP. Doug is an active member of the traditional community as a staff and pipe carrier. 

2023 Sponsors and Partners

This project is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities

logo map of Michigan with words MI Humanities
logo Building with the words The Mill at Vicksburg
logo image of book with words Gilbert and Ivy a Bookstore and More
logo red tower with words Vicksburg District Library
logo Script word Vicksburg with Historical Society in block letters beneath

Archived Destination Series

Please return soon to enjoy the rich history of our past Destination Series.

We are adding items as they are completed for an archival exhibition.

Thank you.

2020 Destination Venezuela (pdf)Download

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