Menominee revives oral history project to preserve elders' voices

Elders’ stories will get a microphone at the Menominee Tribal Museum in Keshena this summer, as the Menominee Historic Preservation Department revives its Oral History Project during the Menominee Contest Pow-Wow. The interview day is set for Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last interview slot at 3 p.m.

The department says it first conducted elder interviews in 1993 and 1994. It is returning to that model because the recordings have become a way for grandchildren and relatives to hear family members tell their own stories in their own words. Organizers say they want to preserve culture, build pride and strengthen family connections to ancestors, while also protecting names, places, memories, teachings and values that can disappear if they are not recorded.

Holding the interviews at the Menominee Tribal Museum ties the project directly to one of the tribe’s signature gatherings. The Menominee Nation Contest Powwow is scheduled for July 31 through Aug. 2, 2026, in Keshena, and is described as a three-day event that brings together contestants, drummers, singers, vendors and spectators from across the nation and Canada. A Menominee Nation Contest Powwow Board interest notice posted June 10 shows the event is still being actively organized through tribal government structures. Any Menominee Tribal member interested in serving on the board can submit a letter of interest by email or in person to the MITW Chairmans Office by noon on July 8.

The project also reflects the tribe’s long view of itself. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin says its history in Wisconsin and parts of Michigan and Illinois dates back 10,000 years, and tribal history materials place the origin story at the mouth of the Menominee River, about 60 miles east of the present reservation. That kind of depth gives added weight to each recording, since elders’ memories connect present-day families in Menominee County to a history that reaches far beyond one generation.

Families who want to take part or learn more can call the Menominee Historic Preservation Department at 715-799-5258. The Menominee Cultural Museum remains open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with group tours available by appointment, giving the oral history effort a permanent place in Keshena where those voices can be gathered and kept accessible.