Tribe Wins Award for Restoring Camp

One of two new barracks stands at Camp Boedne Bay on Brevort Lake, which has been used for youth camps and community events for decades. Recently, the federal government granted the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians the Indigenous Earth Walker Award for restoration work at the camp. The law enforcement division of the tribe collaborated with the local Forest Service on the project. Boedne Bay camp was rebuilt by tribal and community volunteers. (The St. Ignace News file photograph, August 2006)

The law division of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has earned a national Indigenous Earth Walker Award for its work to restore Camp Boedne Bay on Brevort Lake. Work at the camp began in 2004.

Since 1977, Boedne Bay has been a site for youth camps and community events, but, over the years, the facility fell into disrepair until it was finally slated to be decommissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

After the camp had been opened and closed several times over the years, with its most recent closure in 2002, the tribe approached the Forest Service and offered to rebuild the camp to ensure that young people in the community continue to have places to explore and learn about the outdoors. The Forest Service granted the tribe a 20-year special use permit to the camp, located on a five-acre plot surrounded by 100 acres of camping land.

Between 2004 and 2006, volunteers replaced a water well, upgraded electrical systems, cleaned the grounds, replaced all windows and doors in the camp's buildings, added ramps to make the facilities accessible to handicapped users, painted, stained, and cleaned the buildings, refurbished the camp's kitchen, rebuilt rotten, wooden tent pads, and renovated bunk houses. The tribe poured $30,000 into the project. The funds were gathered from grants and donations, several of which came from St. Ignacebased businesses.

Since the renovation, the tribe has hosted a week-long, junior police academy program, reservations have been made for a second police academy, and St. Ignace Area Schools has reserved the facility for a program.

Reservations for using Camp Boedne Bay are being handled through the tribe's law enforcement office by calling (906) 635- 6065.