This week on Behind the Mitten we are back on our beloved Mackinac Island, visiting with our friends at Mackinac State Historic Parks. We recorded this show on-site at Fort Mackinac, after hauling all of our recording equipment up that famous hill. It was completely worth it, as it always is. 

Now, we will just start this off by saying that yes, we do fire off a historical cannon on this show. And yes, it was just as awesome as you can imagine. Fun fact we'll share: you can do it too. But before we get to that, we chat with a few friends about all you can experience at this premier state park. 

Dominick Miller, chief of marketing and a BTM regular, stops by to tell us just a little bit about what to expect at the parks this season. It's always a great reminder that Mackinac State Historic Park encompasses more than just the fort on the island, there are six different locations to enjoy. If you are on the mainland, pay a visit to Fort Michillimackinac for incredible historic exhibits as well as working archeological digs you can observe. You can also visit Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, or have an amazing adventure, or even zip-line, at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park.

On the island, you too can hike up to Fort Mackinac, and we do recommend it. It's a quintessential pure Michigan experience, from learning about our history to watching historical interpreters, it's the most famous spot on the island and has been for hundreds of years. Downtown, stop by the Mackinac Art Museum or the Biddle House to dive deeper. 

Craig Wilson, who joined the park in 2005 and is currently the chief curator at Mackinac State Historic Parks, enters the chat to tell us about the new exhibit at Fort Michilimackinac that will open later this summer. “Slavery at the Straights” focuses on what slavery meant during the 1770s here in Michigan, and it will be housed in the first new building erected at Colonial Michilimackinac since 2013.

From the park website: Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, slavery was an integral part of the community at Michilimackinac, as well as the rest of Michigan. Enslaved Black and Native American men and women worked in all levels of society, doing everything from domestic work to skilled labor. Already a hub of the Great Lakes fur trade, Michilimackinac also served as the center of the regional trade in enslaved workers as French and British colonists exploited preexisting systems of Native American enslavement to feed a growing demand for enslaved labor.

In addition, Wilson discusses the many outreach programs that Mackinac State Parks do in the off-season, bringing mobile exhibits to children throughout the state. It's a nice reminder that the Park's staff continues their important work documenting and sharing our Michigan history year-round and with all of our citizens. 

The main man himself joins us for our third segment, which is all about that huge new Milliken Nature Center at Arch Rock. Steve Brisson, Director of Mackinac State Historic Parks explains why this is such a big deal, the natural wonders you'll learn about here, and how Big Gretch lobbied for the name. Also, you'll hear about the many new restrooms.

Finally.....we will blow that cannon off with one of the Mackinac State Park historical interpreters, Jack Swartzinski. He's been up at the Fort for a few summers now, and is a true pro. Yes, they are wearing real wool uniforms, so please do ask them about them and what they feel like. Yes, they are holding replica muskets from the era, so have them explain how to load that crazy gun. Yes, these are professional historical reenactors and they honestly live for your interest and questions. Don't be shy, ask away. Which of course, we do during the final segment and then proceed to fire that cannon. 


The thing about the cannon isn't the big boom, or the fact that you get to wake up all of Mackinac Island with it, although those two things are totally top-notch in our book. What is really interesting is learning the how and the why behind firing this piece of history from the interpreters. Their passion and knowledge about the fort and the straights is amazing, and to get to experience it first-hand is a total bucket-list experience. 

Plan your visit to Mackinac State Historic Parks before you go with help right here.

https://www.mackinacparks.com/

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