What’s going on in the Museum yard?  You may have stopped by to see the canoe projects underway this summer. There are two: the building of a new birchbark canoe using traditional Anishinaabe techniques and the restoring of a 16-foot-long 1905 birchbark canoe. View the videos for the annual meeting reports, and to hear the full story of why and how the canoes are under construction.

The Dugout Canoe of Hidden Beach: Unraveling a Puzzle
Presented by Barbara Coffin & Dan Engstrom.
View the video of the popup presentation and discussion.

Kip Dooley and Friends members, including Sara Greenman Sheehan, gather at the South Shore Tennis Courts to reminisce about tennis on Madeline Island through the years. Click to enjoy the video of the discussion…

Attendees had a great time getting a look at the archives and working areas of the museum, and hearing about visions of possible upgrades to the building and site. Click to view pictures of the tour and hidden spaces…

Click to see a video of the Paul DeMain introduction and the audience, Patty telling the Sky Woman and the Animals Creation Story, and other pictures of the event.

Click to view a Zoom video of the presentation, plus extra videos and pictures!

Click to view videos of the presentation by Keith Sowl, plus the Q & A followup.

The 2024 Annual Meeting was held August 24th on the grounds of the Madeline Island Historical Preservation Association. Museum director Mike Wiggins Jr. was the guest speaker. Click to read the minutes...

This popup held in Malcom Lein’s island home (now Eric & Laurel Lein’s home), featured stories by the architect Thomas Blanck, remembering Bella Capser and explaining how the addition was designed and built. A highlight was a look at Blanck’s original drawings! We also got a look at the booklet commemorating the preview opening of the Capser Center. And a tour of the Lein home, a 1930’s fabricated home consisting of sections, multiples of 3 feet, that are held together with bolts and wing nuts! Click to view the booklet and video of the presentation...

This was an extremely interesting and entertaining event. Jean Teisberg, who was site director of the museum in the early days, had wonderful stories to share about the Capsers and the early museum! And we got to tour the original Capser cabin where the event was held! Click to view video of the stories...

“Madeline Island’s Anishinaabe Culture, History, and Language”
Anishinaabe Izhichigewin, Gaa-pi-izhiwebak, miinawaa Inwewin Moningwanekaaning
Guest Speaker: Anton Treuer, Ojibwe scholar and acclaimed author.
Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of many books, including The Cultural Toolbox, and The Language Warrior’s Manifesto…
Click Read More to view the video of the livestream…

This book discussion, reading and signing at Flicker House on Madeline Island was held the afternoon of the Second Annual Capser Tribute. The event, which also honored Dr. Treuer for his work on revitalizing the Ojibwe language, was sponsored by Friends of the Madeline Island Museum in partnership with Flicker House and our Capser Tribute.

Click Read More to view video of the presentation…

This article was featured in the Superior Telegram on June 27, 2024. Click Read More to view the article…

There was a send-off for Keldi on Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Beach Club from noon to 3 p.m. Those who were able stopped by to thank her for her good work at the museum, and to wish her well at her new job at Bayfield County in tourism promotion. Lois Carlson read and presented a tribute to Keldi in honor of her service. Keldi has been an enthusiastic and effective site director at the museum for seven years and we will miss her! If you weren’t able to make the send-off, feel free to send her a message at klmerton@hotmail.com.

Click image to read the tribute, and watch the video of her response…

From an Island Gazette Article By Linda Mack. It is going to be an exciting year for the Madeline Island Museum! The stockade fence was removed in September, 2023. Now that the stockade fence has been removed, there is an opportunity to make the museum’s exterior space more welcoming. The Friends of the Madeline Island Museum will be helping to engage the community in that process. On Saturday, September 30 a new historic marker describing the Ojibwe migration story was dedicated at the museum. This year the Wisconsin Historical Society will be developing a second historic marker to cover other aspects of the island’s history. Feel free to share your ideas by clicking here to fill out a form which will go to Janet Seymour, WHS Director of Outreach.

On Monday August 27, Sid Levitsky, Paul DeMain, Leslie Mack and I visited the archives at the visitor center near Ashland. It is #14 in the Wisconsin Historical Society's statewide network of Area Research Centers, and preserves the records of eight northern Wisconsin counties, including Ashland and Bayfield Counties. The materials are extensive and include court records, city directories, area newspapers and genealogical records. We were, of course, most interested in materials relating to Madeline Island and within the brief time we were there discovered some exciting materials…

The Wisconsin Historical Society has determined it is necessary to remove the existing stockade fence at the Madeline Island Museum. Several factors contributed to this decision…