Tag Archives: fort st. joseph

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project earns $10,000 in Michigan Humanities Council support

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Deb| 1 Comment

Fig. 11 Reenactors depicting British soldiers

Reenactors depicting British soldiers during the 2011 Fort St. Joseph Open House event.

After reviewing an astounding 51 applications – 31 more than the previous grant cycle – the Michigan Humanities Council (MHC) will award $350,850 in major grant monies to 30 Michigan nonprofits—including $10,000 to the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Program for its “A Colonial Militia Muster on the Eve of Revolution” series.

“We’re very grateful for the continued support of the Michigan Humanities Council, and honored they consider our project to be worthy of funding,” noted Dr. Michael Nassaney, principal investigator of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project and professor in the Department of Anthropology.

“We received an extraordinary number of very exciting, high-quality grant applications this spring and the Michigan Humanities Council has made the very bold decision to fund double the number of grants we usually fund this time of year as a result. This is more than double the amount of grant dollars we awarded in the fall cycle, but with such a large number of great projects on the table, we decided to get the funds out into the communities now when the need is so great,” said Council board chair Timothy Chester.

The grants provide organizations with the funds needed to host cultural programming in their communities through exhibits, lectures, writing programs, festivals and more.

Fort St. Joseph project homepage

Posted in Discovery Driven, Learner Centered

Tagged A Colonial Militia Muster on the Eve of Revolution, CAS, college, college of arts and sciences, department of anthropology, fort st. joseph, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Program, humanities, Michigan Humanities Council, research, western, western michigan university, WMU College of Arts and Sciences

Public archaeology exhibits present local history

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Katy TerBerg

Artifacts like these are shown in the display at Waldo Library.

Historical and archeological findings from Fort St. Joseph in Niles, Mich., are the focus of a new display appearing at Waldo Library. The display was designed by Professor of Anthropology Michael S. Nassaney’s public archeology seminar class (ANTH 5000).

The display project showcases artifacts from historical events in and around the Fort, including archaeological findings, from beads to coins, and information on the fur trade and the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project. The display is a venue to bring a piece of Fort St. Joseph to the WMU community.

“The purpose of this project was to give visitors to Waldo Library the opportunity to learn about archaeology and its contributions to our understanding of the past,” said Nassaney.

The display includes findings and interpretations of life in the 18th century on the edge of the French Empire. The rich historical context of the displays, said Nassaney, is only one benefit of the presentations. “The project also provides student testimonies of the the benefits of working on such a collaborative project.”

Nassaney stresses the importance of the displays in helping unlock the past. “Students will be able to learn about the history of the region, appreciate the interactions among diverse populations such as the French and native peoples,” said Nassaney. “They too can become part of a team that works to recover evidence of a daily life along the banks of the St. Joseph River at a long lost, but not forgotten, French fort.”

Historical reenactors at the 2011 Fort St. Joseph annual open house.

The Fort St. Joseph project was established by WMU archaeologists, under Nassaney’s direction in 1998, in conjunction with the City of Niles, the Fort St. Joseph Museum, and Support the Fort.

An annual open house in August, brings an average 3,000 visitors to the Fort for tours, reenactments, authentic products, and visits to an archeaological dig site. “The Project is a long-term, multidisciplinary, community service learning initiative that explores the fur trade and colonialism in southwest Michigan,” said Nassaney.

Links:

Department of Anthropology

Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project

Dr. Michael Nassaney

Posted in Globally Engaged, Learner Centered

Tagged archeology, department of anthropology, fort st. joseph, history, michael nassaney, western michigan university, wmu

Fort St. Joseph project boasts impressive season

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Deb| Leave a comment

Excavation takes place every year during a Field School at Fort St. Joseph in Niles, Mich.

Students who like digging in the dirt, are “digging” the Department of Anthropology’s Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project.

The project began in 1998 when a local history group called Support the Fort contacted Western Michigan University (WMU) in hopes of finding Fort St. Joseph. In partnership with the City of Niles and the Fort St. Joseph Museum, the search resulted in direct evidence of the fort’s location just south of present-day downtown Niles.

Annual excavations began in 2006 and WMU students enrolled in the archaeological field school are still investigating the site. In addition to the field school, each year, week-long summer camps are offered giving middle and high school students, lifelong learners, and educators the opportunity to “dig in the trenches” alongside the archaeologists as they uncover the history of Fort St. Joseph. More than 125 people have participated since the program’s inception.

Recent Project Outcomes from the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project include:

• hosted the third annual lecture series in cooperation with the Niles District Library;
• 35 participants in the 2011 summer camps;
• a weekly blog for archaeologists to share their experiences (http://fortstjosepharchaeology.blogspot.com);
• winning the Archaeological Institute of America’s Online Excavation Outreach Contest, defeating similar public programs in the Mediterranean, South America, and the United States. See the story at: http://www.archaeological.org/news/aianews/4006;
• a feature in “American Archaeology,” a magazine published by the Archaeological Conservancy;
• nearly 2,000 people at its annual Open House; and
• a new booklet on the fur trade is currently being prepared with the support of the Michigan Humanities Council and will be distributed later this year.

Open House
The annual open house is held over a weekend in early August. The event gives the community the chance to learn from scholars, interact with historical re-enactors portraying life during the time of the fort’s occupation, see newly uncovered artifacts in the outdoor museum, and experience the history of the fort.