Fe University to offer Flambeau Trail course

MERCER — Long before the region was settled fur traders and early inhabitants used Iron County’s Flambeau Trail.

Now locals will have the chance to learn the history of the 40-mile portage between the mouth of the Montreal River and Long Lake as Fe University offers “Exploring and documenting the Flambeau Trail and Turtle Portage.”

The class will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. on five Tuesdays between April 16 and May 14, and will feature a mix of classroom sessions and field work.

“Students will explore the trail and document their research in a format of their choice. Working in collaborative groups, students will learn historic thinking skills, explore written and digital historic sources and engage in field work analyzing historic sites,” a program spokesperson said in a release. “Field work will include visits to Carow Park, Echo Lake, the mouth of the Montreal River and Oronto Creek, Long Lake and a paddle on Long Lake Creek and the Turtle River.”

Jim Bokern will teach the course, with William “Joe” Graveen featured as a guest speaker.

Along with having been a high school history teacher, Bokern earned a masters in the subject at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

He has also led “two archeological surveys on the Manitowish Waters Chain of Lakes, co-developed the Digital Time Traveler Program at the North Lakeland Discovery Center, worked as project historian on two grants with the Lac Du Flambeau Historic Preservation Office and documented the historically significant 6 Pause Portage in Iron County,” the spokesperson said.

Graveen is a tribal member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and was born and raised on the Lac du Flamebau Indian Reservation. An outdoors person, Graveen works for the Lac du Flambeau Tribe in the Natural Resources Department studying wild rice.

Reading materials for the class will be provided, according to the release. Bringing a laptop or digital device is recommended, but not required.

Participants are not required to participate in field activities and can choose to work on course projects.

Organizers ask people read the detailed course description at feuniversity.org prior to registering.

While there is a registration fee, there is a discount for registrations received prior to April 2.

Registration forms can be found on the program’s website, as well as the Mercer Library and UW-Extension office in the Iron County courthouse.

Class size is limited to 12 students.

For more information, call 715-476-2881.

—Richard Jenkins