Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways

Charmaine Benz

1/11/2006 12:00:00 AM

Coming back to Ziibiwing has been interesting, to say the least. Some would say, it's a dream come true, because when I left, the Ziibiwing offices were in the old Ervin farmhouse located behind the Tribal Police Department.

It's been called different things-"that old farmhouse," when we moved into it and it had been occupied by a unknown cadre of reservation cats. Those cats sure let the humans know that building was theirs. The smell permeated everywhere, so naturally we called it the Cat House. But unfortunately that name didn't last very long and the building soon became known as the Ervin Farmhouse.

The long dusty driveway reminded me of my Grandma's house. We sure had our moments in that old building. There were lots of little buildings outside and around the grounds as well. Like an old chicken coop, a few old sheds loaded with lots of old junk, nothing worth much though and when it was demolished I felt a tinge of pain piercing my heart because we sure had some good times in that building.

Every spring when you used the bathroom, you could hear some little baby birds in the wall above the toilet. They would be peeping for their mother and the noise of the toilet flushing just made them chirp all the more. I thought for sure that one day I would see their little beaks coming through that thin old wallpaper. The windows were all real drafty, once in Bonnie's office in the dead of winter, we had a meeting in there, and I could a swore we saw the north wind blowing through her hair from that drafty window. We just laughed and asked her how she could stand it; she said, "Oh, I'm used to it by now."

Twice the electricity went out there and we got sent home from work. We had a gas leak once as well. I was always afraid that old thing would catch on fire. When we did feasts or some other type of community meetings, and it was fun to see how many people we could cram into it. My office was in the very back of a refurbished garage. Paul Johnson and Mae Pego had cubicles in the next room. There was always a story about mice and one time I swear there was a hedgehog outside that came to visit us. Dustin Davis scared him away I think with a broom. The cats never really left they just took over a few of the old buildings outside, we would see them every once in a while.

Before that, we occupied the old beat-up Cow House. So aptly named because when we were there, the farmer had about half a dozen cows out there in our front yard right off Broadway Road. Now that building had some charm. It had a natural old smell to it, and I've been told was at least 75 years old. The attic was full of junk. I remember asking Jean Pego to come over and scrounge around for anything that she might want for her little clothes shop she had in the back of the Tribal Operations building in what is now Purchasing Department. She just laughed and we had a good visit.

I had an office upstairs and could look out on to the porch, where this huge hole existed. I always prayed that there would never be a fire, because if there was ever there was one, I knew for sure I would have to jump for my life�maybe land on one of those old cows.

I've heard so many stories about that house almost every old Ziibiwing employee has a story about that place being haunted. The noises and creepy sounds coming from that place, that people could hear, being there alone, were not imagined. I heard them myself. But I was never afraid. It was like we were there visiting, and I even remember picking up some kids at that house on our bus route when I went to Mt. Pleasant High School way, way back.

Discovering all the cubby holes and intricacies of that house is what made it so much fun. I sure miss that old Cow House.

Before that, there was the yellow house on Summerton Road. That was the name of the building-the yellow house on Summerton. I think it flooded once, and the basement got full of water. Needless to say we moved into that wonderful and great office the cow house. But the Yellow House had its own special charm. There were lots of apple trees in the back yard. And�.it was loads of fun when it rained, the driveway would get all flooded and we just had a great time trying to run through the mud to get to the door.

The Cow House had the best driveway I remember. Several of us got our cars stuck in the mud in the spring when the ground thawed out. Ahh, the good times-when we had to call a wrecker to come and get us to work.

There was a hedgehog story over there as well. Pat Wilson tried to flood him out with a garden hose, once. I wonder if that's the same hedgehog that we had at the Cat House, oops I mean the Ervin Farmhouse. Maybe he followed us over there.

Between those buildings and in the mean time, the Ziibiwing staff occupied the Petro Plaza, as well as the Total Building, where some of the staff agreed that they for sure got the "black lung disease" from breathing in all those old fumes from that building. All the people were crammed into one big room, desks side by side; it was smelly, cold and horrible there I'm told. Willie told me once that Dustin leaned back on a chair once and fell all the way back, the whole darn chair broke. Everybody just laughed.

To come into this great big beautiful building is sure a difference, I mean the new Ziibiwing Center. I wonder why Tribal Administration kept putting us into those old farmhouses.

I know we were short on space, but geez, in my new office I have a window, heat and light and even a chair that works.

Those old buildings are all demolished now and nothing is left but the memories...

But I sure do like my new office.