History of Savannah Portage Region and Ojibwe Stewardship Past and Present

Stephen Schaitberger and Don Wedll provide a historic view of the Savannah Portage and an acknowledgement of the Ojibwe stewardship of the area past and present. Schaitberger is the author of "Stands Before His People: Enmegahbowh and the Ojibwe", a historic biography of the first Episcopal priest of Ojibwe heritage. Shaitberger's mentor was Fr. George Smith, the grandson of Enmegahbowh who immersed him in Ojibwe culture in his youth, spending his summers at his family's cabin on Lake Minnewawa in the Tamarack area. Don Wedll has extensive experience working for Tribal governments. He worked for some 34 years for Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe starting in 1974 working in the areas Education, Law Enforcement, Natural Resources and Environmental. He was also directed to develop the litigation of the 1837 Treaty Rights of the Mille Lacs Band. Wedll has worked with Region 5 U.S. EPA in the development of EPA's Indian Policy and the development of Nation Environmental Programs for Indian Tribes. In 2009, Wedll moved to Alaska and worked for 6 years with the Association of Village Council Presidents conducting Environmental Reviews and Tribal Environmental Programs. Wedll's academic background in mathematics, Federal Indian law, and environment has provided a unique skill which he applied while a member of US EPA Committee on Science and Technology and EPA Senior Environmental Enforcement Team. He presently serves on the Giiwedinong Treaty Rights and Culture Museum and Crow Wing County Historical Society.