Living Off-the-Grid Exhibit at NMU Beaumier Heritage Center
(on-going through December 2015)
Although I cannot find an up-to-date page for the Beaumier Heritage Center, I stopped in and learned this exhibit will be on display through December 2015 (up to some time in January). In their words, they describe the exhibit:
'In this exhibit, we will look at several examples of people living “off-the-grid” in the U.P. We will also look at their lifestyle “ancestors,” if you will. The Anishinaabeg peoples who never had a grid, the early European settlers who with the help of the Anish learned to survive in this region, and the “shackers” who lived on the cutover lands of the region and eked out an existence. Today’s “off the gridders” owe a great deal to these early peoples.
'Off-the-grid. It is a phrase that has many meanings in contemporary society and, more often, is misunderstood. When one thinks of people living “off-the-grid,” there are many stereotypes that get repeated. In truth, “off-the-gridders” come in many stripes and colors. Yes, there is the hermit/miser who can’t live in real society. The “hippie” trying to, in the words of the great Joni Mitchell, “get back to the garden.” There are environmentalists who feel that human beings should live a simpler and more land-based existence. There are also people who have careers and hopes for the “American Dream” like anyone else. Along the line, for philosophical and/or even practical reasons, they chose to strive for a self-sufficient lifestyle.
'In our research, we have found that even the most dedicated “off-the-gridders” are not completely self-sufficient. The climate of the U.P. makes cultivating certain crops difficult, if not impossible. Lack of sunlight in the winter can make it difficult for someone to rely strictly on solar power. And most people, even “off-the-gridders,” love to stay in touch with their family and friends through modern communication devices such as cell phones and the internet.
'The exhibition will focus on various families and individuals who are attempting to live self-sufficient lifestyles, featuring photographs of their homes, artifacts, and their own words describing what led them to want to live this type of life. There will also be interpretive panels on the history of people living off the land in the U.P.
'For more information on the exhibition and the Beaumier Center, please go to www.nmu.edu/beaumierhertiagecenter or call 906-227-3212.'
Other Upcoming Activities
Stay tuned for additional activities. We hope to have classes in natural crafts (e.g. beading, working with birchbark, etc.), sustainability skills sessions (such as canning, tanning hides, etc.) and much more. If you have an idea or would like to offer your knowledge and skills, please e-mail speakfortheforest@hotmail.com
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