In early May, more than 65 tribal librarians, archivists, museum curators, and cultural heritage professionals from across the Great Lakes region gathered at Legendary Waters Resort & Casino in Red Cliff Nation for the 2025 Culture Keepers Convening – a three-day event focused on community-building, knowledge exchange, and cultural stewardship.
A Collaborative Effort
Hosted by the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchool, WiLS, Nicolet Federated Library System, Green Bay Packers Foundation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin Humanities, Friends of the University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries, Office of Tribal Relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Legendary Waters Resort & Casino, and The Bayfield Inn, the convening continued a longstanding tradition of fostering collaboration and professional development among Indigenous cultural workers.
This year’s gathering was especially meaningful. Although Red Cliff was the first project the Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums (TLAM) program collaborated with, the Nation had never hosted a convening. Returning to where it all began carried deep significance for many in attendance.
Immersive Cultural Experiences
Participants took part in site visits that offered powerful reflections on place-based knowledge and Indigenous continuity.
The first visit, generously sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society, was to Madeline Island, a place of deep historical and spiritual importance to Lake Superior Anishinaabe. At the Madeline Island Museum, attendees were welcomed by Director Mike Wiggins Jr., explored the exhibit Passages: Ojibwe Migration to the Place Where the Food Grows on Water, and enjoyed a delicious spread of food, featuring Lake Superior smoked whitefish.
On Thursday, the group visited the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Library and Museum and Friday, the Red Cliff Library, learning about each community’s efforts to preserve language, stories, and cultural practices through accessible public resources.
These visits highlighted the essential role of tribal libraries and museums as cultural hubs and vital community anchors.
Hands-On Learning and Workshops
The convening also featured rich programming focused on preservation, education, and Indigenous methodologies:
- In “Textile Preservation Materials and Methods”, attendees explored fabric care and conservation techniques.
- “Housing Heritage: Creating Custom Storage Mounts for Material Culture” offered hands-on instruction in building archival-quality mounts for cultural materials.
- “Teaching Culturally with the Four I’s (Inform, Include, Integrate, and Infuse) – Indigenous Studies” provided a framework for integrating Indigenous knowledge into learning environments.
- “Goja Howaite Hi: Connecting Youth Through Language, Culture and Environmental Science” showcased how Tribally driven participatory research can engage youth through science, culture, and language.
From artifact care to educational innovation, these sessions equipped attendees with skills and inspiration to bring back to their communities.
Moments of Connection
Beyond sessions and site visits, the most cherished moments often came through personal connection. Shared meals fostered storytelling and laughter. A gift exchange invited attendees to offer personally meaningful items to one another, fostering conversation and connection. A book club discussion with author Marcie Rendon and facilitator Dee Sweet inspired deep reflection on Indigenous storytelling and lived experience.
These moments of connection were more than just social – they were the heartbeat of the gathering.
About Culture Keepers
Launched in 2010 by the TLAM Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchool, the Culture Keepers Convenings respond to the needs of Indigenous cultural workers by offering professional development grounded in Indigenous values. Hosted in tribal communities, these gatherings feature hands-on workshops, community tours, and collaborative planning that center Indigenous knowledge systems.
After a pause, gatherings resumed in 2024. The 2025 convening in Red Cliff marked a powerful continuation of this legacy of connection, growth, and cultural care.
About the Culture Keepers Collective
The Culture Keepers Collective emerged from these gatherings as a way to continue supporting cultural workers beyond convening events. This Native-led initiative, administered by WiLS, offers programming, training, resource development, and relationship-building opportunities year-round.
