Two Michigan tribes complete a 130-mile kayak voyage along Lake Michigan

Two Michigan tribes, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP) and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, completed a nearly 130-mile paddle voyage along Lake Michigan this month. The “Paddle to Pokagon” trip reaffirmed what leaders described as long-standing friendship between the “sister tribes.” Starting Oct. 3, seven kayakers traveled for 10 days down the St. Joseph River from the Pine Creek Indian Reservation toward Lake Michigan, arriving near the Pokagon reservation in Niles on Oct. 8. The final stretch concluded on Oct. 12, coinciding with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, when tribe members gathered at Silver Beach in St. Joseph. Organizers said the timing was intentional to reflect ancestral practices and to plan around weather. It followed earlier NHBP stewardship work, including a nine-day, 110-mile paddle in 2025.