Of Wrecks and Water Trails

Of Wrecks and Water Trails. .

…scarcely had we gotten out into Lake Michigan than we were beset by a horrible tempest and in an instant out rudder was broken to pieces…Not being able to control our course, we were during the night the toy of gigantic waves which pushed us toward the immense bank of sand called "Sleeping Bear." …Nowhere have I been witness to the unbridling of the elements comparable to that which this sea of fresh water presented. , French explorer Comte De Castelnau, 1839

, Long before there were freighters on Lake Michigan, the Anishinaabek traveled the mishingamaa (large water) in birchbark canoes. They followed the lakeshore using landmarks like the Sleeping Bear as their guides. It was their belief that Mishipeshu, a great underwater panther, made waves by thrashing its tail; storms were the work of Animikiig, the thunderbirds. To protect themselves, the Anishinaabek painted symbols of both spirits (left) on their canoes., Ship captains were equally cautious. Since the early 1800s, thousands have entered the Manitou Passage, a gauntlet of shoals between the islands and the mainland. Some sought shelter in South Manitou Island harbor; most were using the Passage as a shortcut. Many did not make it. To date, archaeologists have discovered at least 60 wrecks. An untold number of "ghost ships" remain lost below the waves., [Caption:] , The Anishinaabek used a network of "water trails" (orange) for trade and seasonal migrations. European settlers adapted these routes for cargo and passenger travel.