The Great Lakes: A Cultural Resource Guide

CHF is launching our 2021 season with a conversation about one of the most urgent global issues of our time: climate change.

The effects of rising temperatures and changing weather patterns vary from community to community. Here in the Great Lakes region some of the key issues are water and soil quality, invasive species, the degradation of ecosystems, and lakeshore erosion. The Great Lakes are also a critical economic resource. Drinking water, irrigation, transportation are all critical components of the regional economy on both sides of the border.

Living in close proximity to such abundance, it is hard to imagine a future without the Great Lakes and many great committed organizations in the Midwest are dedicated to advocating for and preserving this critical natural resource.

The Great Lakes are equally a cultural resource, one that has inspired Native American languages, legends, songs, poems, oral histories and spiritual traditions. The Great Lakes are a place many communities have turned to over time for creative inspiration, reflection and connection. Here are a few examples of how some contemporary artists—writers, photographers, architects—from the Midwest (and beyond) have reflected on the power of the Great Lakes in shaping identity, place and community.

[Hero image description: The banner image at the top of the web page is a photograph of lake Michigan at sunrise. The morning is so cold that steam is rising from the lake, like clouds. The sun is coming up over the horizon, turning the sky, steam, and water golden yellow. Image credit: Unsplash]