In early Chippewa tribe lore, there is a story how the large sand dunes formed on the North west Lake michigan shoreline.
In early days, a mother bear and her two young cubs, raced to escape the flames of a forest fire on the west side of the lake. The small family was chased into the lake by the flames. mother bear urged her cubs to swim in front of her. Soon the two cubs, tired and fell behind. The mother continued to swim while encouraging the cubs to keep going. Within sight of the far shore, the cubs tired and drowned. The mother bear, made it to shore, exhausted, laid down to rest and wait for her cubs. The shape of the large dune is referred to as Sleeping Bear dune by its resemblance to a bear at rest. The two islands of South and North Manitou are said to be the remains of the two drowned cubs. It is said that the mother bear still waits for her lost cubs to return. Native people see attributes of the bear as strength, endurance and courage. Mother bears are fearless when it comes to protecting their young.
When I visited the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, I was surprised at the area of the dunes. It is 4 square miles and is bordered by a wall of sand about one hundred feet high. The tallest dune is four hundred feet above the lake shore.
I have climbed down the dune for fifty feet. The steep slope and sliding sand under foot makes the upward climb difficult. It took me 5 minutes to traverse down dune fifty feet and over an hour to climb back to the overlook.
As a child, my husband recalled sliding down to the shore line from the top of the dune. John, gathered smooth rocks to bring to his mother for her rock garden. By the time he returned to the top two hours later, His mother met him with a thermos of water. His t-shirt that held the wrapped stones was ruined from the weight of the stones and the climb.
Winds from the upper lake formed the dunes on the north west shore of the lower peninsula. Composed of light sand, the dunes are moving and growing. The dunes are moved by wind east by three feet each year.
*** poem
Mother bear, protecting cubs.
Fleeing fire, flee to the shore.
Fire behind, Water ahead. Hesitate, then plunge in.
Swim to the other lake side, only to drown insight of land.
Exhausted, the mother bear still waits for her cubs.
Their bodies are seen in the shape of the islands.
She still waits.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 9/1/2025
traveling up and down the blind highway 