Fort Recovery Museum is bringing back its free event "Beyond the Battlefield." But this year will allow some younger Ohioans to learn about the area's historic tribes.
Four local schools will bring their fourth grade classes to the Mercer County museum to meet citizens and leaders of the Eastern Shawnee, Miami and Wyandotte tribal nations later this month.
The ‘Beyond the Battlefield’ event is inspired by the museum’s permanent exhibit called St. Clair’s Defeat Revisited: A New View of the Conflict. There’s also a traveling version of the exhibit that’s gone all over Ohio.
It aims to describe the aftermath of St. Clair’s Defeat, the most successful defeat of the U.S. military by Native American troops, from the perspective of the tribal nations involved today.
This exhibit was created by Ball State University faculty in collaboration with tribal scholars.
“They'll experience people that are really, really happy to share their culture and what they're doing in their tribes today,” said Christine Thompson, former faculty member at Ball State who helped design the exhibit.
Kim Rammel, site manager for the museum said along with days for students, there will also be a day open to the public to experience the same programming.
There will be a day open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School. The days will include social dancing, lacrosse, craft activities and more.
All activities are free.
“We're hoping that the kids will bring their grandparents or other family members back to show them what they did,” Rammel said.
Reaching new audiences
The request to incorporate grade school education into this year’s event came from a request from the Wyandotte Nation.
“They had done something very similar at River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Michigan,” Thompson said. “And they asked us if we would consider doing this with our local schools.”
Ohio’s fourth grade curriculum involves learning Native American history.
"Beyond the Battlefield" programming was annual, but it was paused last year due to a loss in grant funding.
This year’s event is possible through a grant from the Ohio History Fund.
“It almost worked out well because it gave us a chance to take a breath and kind of look at how we want this to be sustainable,” Rammel said.
Citizens that will be at Beyond the Battlefield work in historic and cultural preservation for one of the three tribes.
Fort Recovery Museum will also be open free of charge for guided tours of the battlefield site.
