Tribe Offers $700,000 for City To Buy Fort de Buade
Contingency: If Museum Should Ever Close, Artifacts Go to Tribe
By Ryan Schlehuber

Fort de Buade Museum, a treasure trove of historic artifacts, from Indian art and implements to Kentucky long rifles, could be saved under an offer by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians to give $700,000 to the City of St. Ignace for its purchase. The offer was announced Monday night, January 15, by tribal board member Keith Massaway at a meeting of the St. Ignace City Council being held at the St. Ignace Public Library.

A committee comprised of councilmen Willie LaLonde, Paul Fullerton, Don Gustafson, City Manager Eric Dodson, and city attorney Prentiss "Moie" Brown Jr. was appointed by Mayor Paul Grondin to work out details with the tribe and the Michilimackinac Historical Society, which has been working with the museum's owners to save it.

The Sault Tribe board, Mr. Massaway said, has voted to give $118,000 a year for six years to the City of St. Ignace with which to purchase the collection and the Fort de Buade building in St. Ignace. The money, he said, will not impact other gaming revenue money the tribe would normally distribute to the community. It is replacing, in part, payments the tribe was making to the city for construction of Little Bear East Ice Arena and Conference Center, which ended last year.

The museum was owned by Dr. Donald Benson, an orthodontist and avid collector of Indian artifacts and art who died in May 2005. Dr. Benson and his wife, Marylan, had hoped the collection could remain in St. Ignace and she and their children have offered to donate the collection to the historical society if it could pay $500,000 for the downtown building that houses it.

Since last spring, the historical society, under an agreement with Mrs. Benson, has been operating the gift shop and museum while exploring ways to raise the money to buy it. If the family could not find a buyer, it planned to sell the collection at an antique auction in Ohio.

Mr. Massaway, who helped organize the Michilimackinac Historical Society several years ago and served as its first president, until he was elected to the tribal board, said the tribal money must be given to a municipality, but suggested the historical society could operate it for the city, if an agreement can be reached. Council's committee is expected to discuss that option, plus other operation considerations in the weeks ahead.

The museum and its adjacent gift shops have been operating at a loss, and few residents have even been inside, but under city ownership, efficiencies and cost savings could be improved, city officials feel. The city already operates Marquette Mission Park and Museum of Ojibwa Culture.

One contingency the tribe made in its offer is that if the museum should ever close, the artifacts would be gifted to the tribe.

"This is a jewel in the rough," said Mr. Massaway to Council about the museum and the collection.

Much of Dr. Benson's collection consists of Indian artifacts indigenous to the St. Ignace area, with some items not as connected to St. Ignace's history but valuable, such as authentic Civil War muskets.

"The key to all of this is to save the collection," said Mr. Dodson after the meeting. "How we do that is what we have to discuss."

He said the committee will schedule a meeting soon.

Mayor Grondin also revived the city's tree planting committee to study St. Ignace resident Paula McNamara's request to have all members of Council purchase 10 new trees and a lilac shrub by joining the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Her idea was to involve students in planting trees at the pond area near Little Bear East. Cost of purchasing the saplings is $15, said Ms. McNamara.

"It would secure 120 trees if each council member signed up," she said. "We can pick a day in May with the school and meet at the pond and designate an area to plant the trees. It's a way to get young kids involved in green life and in their community."

"It's a great idea," said Mayor Grondin.

Mr. Brown added that the project could include replanting trees along city streets, as well.

Mr. Dodson reminded Council that he and Mayor Grondin are committed to becoming more involved with the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce and plan to attend its regular meetings to create better communication between the two entities.

Mr. Dodson also updated Council on the Cool Cities seminar that focused on ideas on how to improve small towns, which was held at Little Bear East Conference Center Tuesday, January 9. The seminar was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Mackinac County Extension office.

Councilwoman Susan Tamlyn- Massaway called for Council to become committed to long-term goals and ideas that the seminar produced.

She said the city should provide more to its citizens than infrastructure.

"You [Mr. Dodson] and the mayor have to give us some leadership as to where to go. We need to be a little more proactive."

Mr. Dodson reminded Council that Planning Commission is holding a public hearing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 17 to discuss a request from Todd Hargraves for a Planned Unit Development permit to build a 10-unit condominium complex on the St. Ignace waterfront beside American Legion Park. Mr. Dodson is encouraging a large turnout so the Planning Commission has enough input from the public to make a better recommendation to Council.

The Planning Commission will also discuss amendments to the city's sign ordinance, which Council sent back last month.

Mr. Gustafson asked Les Therrian, director of the city's Public Works Department, to request that Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) give the city enough notice as to when it will begin its resurfacing project on Marquette and Antoine Streets so as not to upset any citizen or business owner for any inconvenience the project may create.

Mr. Therrian said the MDOT project should only take two weeks to complete and MDOT is planning to have it finished in June.

Mr. Dodson told Council there will be a legislative conference Tuesday, March 20, in Lansing. The conference encourages city leaders and students from the area to attend to discuss new ideas for transportation, infrastructure, and economic development policies with state legislators and Michigan Municipal League representatives.

Council reappointed Jean Nitz to the Library Board.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Grondin and Mr. Brown opined that Monday's meeting in the library was perhaps the first time a Council meeting was held outside of its usual location at City Hall.

Earlier this winter, Mayor Grondin asked Council hold meetings at various facilities in town to promote them. It is scheduled to hold a regular meeting at Little Bear East February 19 and at LaSalle High School at 1:30 p.m. March 19.