2003 NAI Media Award winner for Best Interior Exhibit Tower, Minnesota Exhibit Size:3,400 square feet Services Performed: Research, Concept Development, Design, Fabrication, Writing, Graphics, Mural Painting, and Installation Split Rock Studios worked closely with the elders and tribal council of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe to create exhibits for the new Heritage Center on Lake Vermilion near Tower, Minnesota. Throughout the exhibits, we used the talents of members of the Band to tell their own story. An elder, Hank Goodsky, was commissioned to build a birch bark canoe using traditional methods. He in turn invited young people to help him so they could learn how to do it. That canoe rests at the entrance to the exhibit gallery. Another elder harvested birch bark to make a waaginogaan, the traditional lodge of the Bois Forte people, and attached it to a frame provided by SRS to his specifications. A talented Bois Forte artist, Carl Gawboy, painted a 12x15-foot mural depicting the Ojibwe migration as an introduction to the exhibits. Three paintings by another Bois Forte artist, Joe Geshick, were used in the area dealing with spirituality. The motif used to decorate the exterior of the display cases was taken from beadwork designs created years ago by the mother of one of the elders. The text was written from the point of view of the Bois Forte people. In other words, the panel on logging doesn’t give a general history of the industry, but tells how logging affected the life and environment of the Bois Forte. In addition, every panel includes a quote from a Band member to ensure that the Bois Forte perspective is being heard. A wall honoring veterans from the tribe utilizes photos collected by a member of the Bois Forte Honor Guard. In addition, Split Rock Studios created a series of environments within the gallery, including a fur post using authentic log construction techniques and a classroom in the Lake Vermilion boarding school. In the center of the room, a circular star-ceiling defines an area used for storytelling and, on special occasions, drums, songs, and dancing.