Eli Thomas and Don Stevens Anishinaabeg Tribal Elders
					Eli (Little Elk) Thomas
		There are more stories to tell about Michigan's firtst residents than Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha."  In fact, Hiawatha was a folk legend among the Iroquois, who were mortal enemies of Michigan's woodland tribes, the Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi. Don Stevens, also called Red Arrow, and Eli Thomas, known as Little Elk, Anishinaabe elders, have spent their lives telling the stories of their people to all who wish to listen. Stevens, who lives in Blanchard, and Thomas, who made his home in Mt. Pleasant, have traveled across North America, sharing the songs and dances of their ancestors and telling the Indian folk legends that form the basis of their values and beliefs. Many members of Stevens' family  cousins and all  have made their living for years re-creating and selling unusual tools and crafts of the Ojibwa, such as racks used for stretching and drying animal skins.  Thomas was a respected medicine man who oversaw sacred ceremonies, including the naming of the children. Stevens, 59 (at the time of this writing) and his family continue their work, trying to keep alive the reminders of their traditional ways.  Thomas died in 1990 at age of 92. (Picture of Don)  Don Stevens uses a knife on a piece of cattail reed outside his home in Blanchard in 1988.  In his work, he uses natural materials to show that his ancestors made good use of what they had available in order to build a life for themselves and their children.  Little wooden toys for children are made by Don also, just like the ones made by many Anishinaabe fathers for their children when Michigan was still a vast wilderness.

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