Festival of the Falling Leaves Moon
September 20-22, 2008
Our newest biannual festival celebrates the heritage of Mackinac Island's Native peoples.

Madame LaFramboise
To celebrate one of Mackinac Island's most notable women Madame LaFramboise (1779-1846), a prominent woman of Ottawa descent who married a French fur trader. She spoke fluent French, English and Ottawa and was able to keep the lines of communication open between everyone in the fur industry.

The coming of the Europeans to Mackinac Island was a time of imminent change. The Festival of the Falling Leaves Moon embraces Mackinac Island's early history.

Binaakwe-giizis
Binaakwe-giizis is Anishnaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwe) for falling leaves moon. This moon celebrates the time of year when the trees were told to stay awake for seven days and seven nights and only the cedar, pine and spruce obeyed. As a reward the are 'ever-green' and those that were unable to stay awake must shed their leaves each fall.

The Falling Leaves Moon illuminates the remnants of the harvested crops which provided cover for animals during the growing season.

During the founding days of America, European farmers used the bright moonlight to hunt game, fish and gather rice while the Anishnaabe tribes hunted, fished, gathered and prepared to move to their winter camps in order to protect and sustain themselves through the long, cold winters in the Upper Midwest and collect furs for trade value.