Fort St. JosephArchaeological

ProjectFor more information, please contact: Michael S. Nassaney, Ph.D.

Principal InvestigatorFort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Department of Anthropology1014 Moore Hall

1903 W. Michigan Ave.Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI 49008-5306

Phone: 269-387-3981Fax: 269-387-3970

e-mail: Nassaney@wmich.edu

Join our Membership...Annual membership participation in the FSJ Project assists with transporting and housing students, maintaining field equipment, providing students with public outreach opportunities through the Project’s annual Open House event, and defraying the cost of the excavations.

Annual Membership LevelsFriend $1 - $99 Voyageur $100 - $249Explorer $250 - $499Commandant $500 - $9,999 Lifetime Member $10,000+

My gift is to be paid via:_____ Check (payable to WMU FDN: Fort St. Joseph)_____ Credit card (check one)

____Mastercard ____VisaAccount #: ___________________________________Expiration Date: ______________________________Verification Code: _____________________________Signature (required): ___________________________Name: _______________________________________Phone Number: (_____) _________________________Address: ______________________________________City _________________________________________State, Zip _____________________________________Email ____________________________________________Please contact me about my giving plans.

PublicArchaeologyTo make archaeology more accessible to the community, the project has a very active public outreach and education program.

Each year, week-long summer camps are offered giving campers the opportunity to “dig in the trenches” alongside the archaeologists as they uncover the history of Fort St. Joseph. They are taught basic excavation skills, fort history, and how this history has had an impact on the local community. More than 125 middle and high school students, lifelong learners, and educators have participated since the program’s inception.

An annual public lecture series began in 2009 to share information about the fort and New France. Past speakers include chair of the Department of History at WMU, Dr. José Brandão; Principal Investigator, Dr. Michael Nassaney; and State Archaeologist, Dr. Dean Anderson. The popular presentations give the public the chance to meet with the speakers and discuss issues of mutual interest.

Open HouseThe annual open house is held over a weekend in early August. The event gives the community the chance to learn from scholars, interact with historical re-enactors portraying life during the time of the fort’s occupation, see newly uncovered artifacts in the outdoor museum, and experience the history of the fort. Educational panels throughout the open house area provide guests with information on the year’s chosen theme. Activities for children make the event memorable for people of all ages.• The2012OpenHousewillbeAugust11-12

(Theme:ThemilitaryatFortSt.Joseph)• The2013OpenHousewillbeAugust10-11

(Theme:TBA)

Please complete this form and return to:Western Michigan University, Gift Processing

1903 W. Michigan Ave.Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403

http://www.wmich.edu/fortstjoseph

Fort HistoryFort St. Joseph was established in 1691 along the St. Joseph River near a strategic portage en route to the Mississippi River, making it an important link in the chain of similar European settlements in the western Great Lakes region. The fort served as an important French mission, trading post, and garrison, where the exchange of goods as well as ideas between the French and Native Americans led to the creation of new cultures and identities. It eventually fell into the hands of the British—and for 24 hours the Spanish—but after 1781 was abandoned and ultimately disappeared.

Project History The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project began in 1998 when a local history group called Support the Fort contacted Western Michigan University (WMU) in hopes of finding Fort St. Joseph. In partnership

with the City of Niles and the Fort St. Joseph Museum, the search resulted in direct evidence of the fort’s location just south of present-day downtown Niles. Over the years, WMU archaeologists returned to the site periodically until 2006, when annual excavations began.

WMU students enrolled in the Department of Anthropology’s annual archaeological field school and local volunteers are currently investigating the site. Community involvement enhances our understanding of the 18th century fur trade and the people who participated in it, and allows local people to become involved in uncovering the history of their hometown.

Recent Project Outcomes • Thethirdannuallectureserieswasorganized

incooperationwiththeNilesDistrictLibraryduringthe2011fieldseasonandfocusedonthethemeofthefurtrade.

• The2011summercampsgave35participantstheopportunitytoexperiencearchaeologyforthemselves.

• Newtothe2011fieldseason,aweeklybloggavearchaeologiststhechancetosharetheirexperienceswithmorethan3,500visitorsfromaroundtheworld.Toreadaboutthefieldschoolandsomeofthe“behind-the-scenes”workdonethroughouttheschoolyearbeforethenextfieldseasonbegins,goto:http://fort-stjosepharchaeology.blogspot.com.

• TheFortSt.JosephArchaeologicalProjectre-centlywontheworldwideArchaeologicalInsti-tuteofAmerica’sOnlineExcavationOutreachContest,defeatingsimilarpublicprogramsintheMediterranean,SouthAmerica,andtheUnitedStates.Seethestoryat:http://www.archaeological.org/news/aianews/4006.

• AnarticleontheexcavationsatFortSt.Josephaswellasthesite’shistoryappearedinthespring2011issueof“AmericanArchaeology,”amaga-zinepublishedbytheArchaeologicalConser-vancy.

• Onceagain,nearly2,000peopleattendedtheannualOpenHousetolearnaboutthefurtradethroughreenactments,ongoingexcavations,andartifactexhibits.

• A new booklet on the fur trade is currently being prepared with the support of the Michi-gan Humanities Council and will be distributed throughout the state later this year.

A partnership of Western Michigan University and the City of Niles