I am always astonished when people ask me Are there any Indians left in Michigan? Well, um, yes. Yes there are. Look around you and you will see writers and farmers and painters and fiddlers and storekeepers and clerks and blackjack dealers and chefs and peacemakers and lawyers at the Tribal Court (and in Circuit Court too) and kids in school and teachers and conservation officers and–well. You get the idea.
Some Ottawa/Odawa and Chippewa/Ojibwe and Métis families have been Around Here for quite a long time by anybody’s standards, tending orchards on the ridges before the Jesuits arrived, mining chert along the bay 2,000 years ago and putting food by in the storage pits on Skegemog Point 10,000 years ago. Then there’s newcomer Peter Greensky, an interpreter and preacher who came across from the Leelanau in the 19th century. His legacy is the Greensky Hill Indian Mission United Methodist Church up near Charlevoix.
Greensky Church by Betty Beeby - Jordan River Arts Center
The church, too, is still here, serving a diverse community of descendants and newcomers. On Monday evening at 7:30 Judy Johnson is going to talk about the history of Greensky Hill. It will be the last Wilkinson Homestead Historical Society lecture for the year, and I have it on good authority that the treats will be beyond excellent.
Judy, who lives in Eastport, is a liturgist at the church and a member of the women’s drumming and singing group. She helps with the annual Harvest Dinner and with the annual camp meeting that draws participants from several North Country states and Canadian provinces. She is married to Daugherty Johnson (sculptor of wolves and mammoths and bears) and is grandmother to many, many lucky grandchildren. She is what Grace Hooper called a useful person, which I have concluded is about the highest compliment a person can pay to a neighbor.
I have no idea if she’s going to talk about the Greensky Council Trees or not, but I thought you ought to know about them.
The trees have been on Greensky Hill for a very long time. They were old when my Civil War veterans were young. Some say Peter Greensky planted them; others say he planted the church where the trees already marked the spot. Come along to the Township Hall on Monday night and maybe we’ll find out. Or we’ll find out something else it’ll be good to know. And there will be those treats. I don’t see how we can go wrong.
Wilkinson Homestead Historical Society
Lecture Series
Greensky Hill Indian Mission United Methodist Church
Judy Johnson
Monday, September 19, 2011
7:30 pm
Torch Lake Township Hall
Admission free – Donations welcome
Torch Lake Views 
Molly
September 18, 2011
Oh, do tell more about the trees if you find anything out. Perhaps you might enjoy a field trip up there to snap a few photos of them?? Pardon me while I try not to beg :). Enjoy the treats.
Gerry
September 19, 2011
Oh, I will definitely tell more about the trees sooner or later. They certainly have stories to tell.
Joss
September 19, 2011
This is one of the best of your posts that I’ve read. You’ve put it so well, about the Indians. I would love to come to hear the talk at the Township Hall but I’m afraid I’m going to be busy tonight. I hope you enjoy it and let us know what you learned.
Gerry
September 19, 2011
Well thank you, Joss. It’s a pity we can’t do a streaming video of Judy’s presentation. Hmmm.
uphilldowndale
September 19, 2011
I’m so very lucky to have useful people as neighbours and I love it when I recognise the names of your neighbours, treats indeed.
Gerry
September 19, 2011
The way things are going I love it when I can put the names to the faces myself. I’ve begun to wonder if I promised to bring cookies? I don’t think so though. I did promise to pick Betty Beeby up and I’d better remember that or I will never live it down.
Kathy
September 20, 2011
It does sound like this would be a treat. I love living in a community with so many Native Americans. They have a rich legacy and can tell marvelous stories.
Michele Lydon (Greensky)
January 8, 2012
My Grandmother was Lottie Greensky, married to Daniel Greensky, she died in 1941, my Father was a few months old and was adopted by a white family and my uncle Dan, who was 10 went to Carlisle Indian School. I sure would like to find out any information you might have about my family heritage
Gerry
January 8, 2012
Thank you for getting in touch, Michele. I don’t have any information yet, but I have some pretty good ideas of where we can look. I’ll send those to you in an email.