Category: In The News

What: 44th annual Homecoming of the Three Fires

When: 1-6 p.m. Saturday, June 13 and 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 14

Where: Riverside Park, 2001 Monroe Ave. NE, Grand Rapids

A ceremony 18 years in the making took over the Gillett Bridge and banks of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids Monday, as city and state leaders celebrated the unique groundbreaking ceremony for the transformative project to restore the rapids.

The project’s longtime architects placed the ceremonial first rocks into the river, after speeches aboard the bridge and a blessing of the river by the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Water Protectors.

There were no golden shovels or dirt to turn Monday as community leaders gathered along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids for a ceremonial groundbreaking nearly two decades in the making.

Instead, members of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians blessed the water as leaders of the Restore the Rapids project waded in at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, holding large stones. The moment marked a symbolic beginning for the long-anticipated effort to remove four low-head dams and return the river to a more natural state.

What: 2026 Spring Celebration and Kids’ Duck Race

When: Saturday, May 9. Registration opens at 1 p.m. and races begin at 2 p.m.

Where: Townsend Park Pavilion, Ramsdell Ave. NE

The traditional Native American snow snake game challenges players to launch handmade wooden “snakes” down a snow track to see whose can travel the furthest.

Compete for $500 prize in traditional Native American game 

GRAND RAPIDS – For the fourth consecutive year, the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians is hosting a traditional northern Native American game during the World of Winter festival.  

The tribe is inviting the Great Lakes community to participate in the fun, family-friendly Great Lakes Snow Snake Competition, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 28. Snow Snake is a game during which a player throws a handmade, wooden “snake” down a snow trough to see who can launch it the farthest. 

“The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians is excited to welcome competitors back to the Snow Snake Competition and to share part of our culture with our community,” said Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands. “This is a great event for those interested in learning a new skill and competing alongside members of more than a dozen tribes and is also an entertaining competition to watch.”  

Those who wish to compete must make their own snow snake. 

Competitors of all ages are welcome, and participants will be split between brackets based on age and gender. Registration begins at 11 a.m. at Sixth Street Park, 647 Monroe Ave. NW. Snow snakes may be available to practice with before the event, though all competitors must make their own snow snakes to compete. The competition at Sixth Street Park begins at noon and is free for participants and spectators. 

The Grand River Bands will award a $500 cash prize to the competitor who throws their snow snake the farthest throughout the whole competition. Bracket victories will be awarded $50 prizes. 

World of Winter is the largest winter festival in the United States and is taking place through March 1, featuring art installations, events and unique experiences in Downtown Grand Rapids. For more information about the Great Lakes Snow Snake Competition, visit the World of Winter website. 

Kaitlin Curtice shares her experience visiting burial mounds in Grand Rapids with Chairman Ron Yob.

Join us for a Snow Snake Competition on Feb. 28! Snow Snake is a traditional northern Native American game. The snake that is thrown the farthest down a snow trough wins.

Full details available on the World of Winter website.

The Grand River Burial Mounds have been around for roughly 2,000 years and stand as one of the most well-preserved sites of Hopewell Indian culture. For the most part, the mounds stand unmarked and undisturbed, and local Indigenous tribes plan to keep it that way.