Take A Stroll Through Michigan’s History At Ah-Nab-Awen Park

The State of Michigan has a rich, deep history that goes much further back than the appearance of the first white settlers. Native American history is an important part of the story here in the Great Lakes State, but a lot of it was unfortunately lost over the years. Namely, several native burial mounds have been destroyed or disturbed since Europeans arrived, however, a few sites still remain. Modern-day Michiganders attempt to make up for these mistakes by honoring those traditions and cultures. Nowhere is more evident of these efforts than at the Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids.

Ah-Nab-Awen Park is located right on the banks of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids. An Indigenous village used to call this place home. It’s located near one of several former burial mound sites which were important cultural landmarks for the original inhabitants.

Historic Stroll in Michigan — A plaque tells the history behind the burial mounds and their builders. Historians determined the Hopewell Indians originally built these mounds between the years 450 B.C. and 450 A.D.

The park was built to honor this history and to preserve the legacy of the Hopewell Indians and Chippewa, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes that followed. The 6.5-acre riverfront park received input from the Council of The Three Fires, which represents those tribes today.

You’ll find reconstructed burial mounds as part of the park’s design. In fact, Ah-Nab-Awen translates to “resting place”.

Ah-Nab-Awen Park is conveniently located right next to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. You can learn more about the history of Indigenous cultures and the burial mounds by taking a visit.

There are several murals throughout the park that tell more about the Anishinaabek people, street art in Grand Rapids, and the modern history of the city.

Anyone who’s interested in the deeper meaning behind the places we live needs to check out Ah-Nab-Awen Park. With so many other great ways to explore Grand Rapids nearby, this visit couples great with a booking from Stubhub.

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Ah-Nab-Awen Park, 220 Front Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA

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Jack Springgate

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