The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, Soaring Eagle, and Ziibiwing

Mount Pleasant is the home of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, and the Tribe is one of the most important presences in the area — a sovereign nation, a major employer, and a vibrant living culture. The Tribe owns and operates the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, which opened in 1998 and has grown into one of the region’s biggest entertainment destinations, with a hotel, a waterpark, and an outdoor arena that draws big-name summer concerts.

Nearby, the Tribe created the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways, often called the Midwest’s premier Native American museum. Its centerpiece exhibit, “Diba Jimooyung” — “Telling Our Story” in the Anishinaabe language — shares the history, culture, and living traditions of the Saginaw Chippewa and the wider Great Lakes Anishinabek in their own words. Central Michigan University, whose teams are the Chippewas, has a longstanding cooperative relationship with the Tribe.

For newcomers, this is a part of the community well worth getting to know — it’s central to what makes Mount Pleasant what it is. You can learn more about the Tribe, Soaring Eagle, and the Ziibiwing Center at sagchip.org.