LANSING, Mich.—The Historical Society of Michigan announces its 2020 State History Awards, to be presented during its annual Michigan History Conference on Oct. 2-3, 2020, which will be a virtual event this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Society presents the State History Awards every year to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion of state and local history. The awards are the highest recognition presented by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s official historical society and oldest cultural organization.
“Cady and the Bear Necklace,” written by Ann Dallman of Menominee, MI, and published by Three Towers Press/Henschel Haus Books, will receive a MI State History Award in the category of Books: Children & Youth. Dallman, who taught high school English on the Hannahville Indian Reservation for 15 years but is not Native herself, wrote “Cady” to represent the Three Fire Confederation of Michigan tribes. She often heard from her students, “Why doesn’t someone write a book about us?” The book describes the story of an adolescent girl who is told that she will encounter a mystery in the form of an antique beaded necklace after she preserves the honor of a sacred eagle feather. As Cady unravels the mystery, the girl is drawn closer to her elders, her Native culture, and her traditional beliefs.
