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Leading up to a polarizing election, Geradine Simkins is worried that neighbors, family members and friends in northern Michigan have stopped trusting each other.
“We realize that the core story that we're hearing in our society is that we're really divided,” Simkins said. “And that story shapes our reality.”
By interviewing farmers, immigrants, artists, business owners and local leaders about what really matters to them, she hopes to tell a different story.
The exhibit, called “Community Conversations,” highlights sixteen northern Michigan residents from different backgrounds. With support from Leelanau Indivisible and a group of volunteers called the PerSisters, their stories and photos were displayed at locations throughout the region this month.
The last day to see them in person is tomorrow at the Glen Lake Community Library.
One of the neighbors featured in the exhibit is Tom Peterson, a 78-year-old Navy veteran and retired pastor. He joined Tera John, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, at the library last week for a conversation.
The differences between these two are numerous — gender, age, personal history. But parts of their life stories, highlighted on the exhibit walls, reveal a deeper connection.
Peterson’s story traces a line from his traumatic military service to becoming a pastor. He read a quote aloud about using Glen Lake as a ‘mental sanctuary’ during difficult moments in combat.
“Whenever I was in a dangerous situation, I could stop for a moment, shift gears, and visualize sitting on the dock at Glen Lake and things would come back into focus for me,” he read.
John, who works in land management and tribal food sovereignty for the Grand Traverse Band, said she understands that connection deeply.
“That connection to water is absolutely integral,” John said. “It's something that when I recognize it in other people, I'm like, ‘Yeah, I understand that. I get that.’”
John also said she was interested to learn that Peterson is part Oglala Sioux and lived on a reservation in South Dakota as a child to understand his heritage.
“I can identify with that,” John said. “There are pieces that, even though we might not necessarily recognize each other in line at the grocery store, yes, there are parts of us that are mirrored in each other.”
“We are all related,” Peterson chimed in. “All of us.”
The exhibit photos were shot by Detroit-based photographer Susan Tusa. John is shown facing away from the camera as a falcon perches on her hand. In Peterson’s picture, he’s in a church wearing a pastor’s vestments, mid-laugh.
“It’s a good picture because when I came back from Vietnam, it took me years to learn how to smile again,” Peterson said. “To have that picture of laughter and enjoyment shows me how far I’ve come.”
At the library, John pointed to a pew in the bottom right corner of the photo.
“Looking at the picture, I can tell you, I grew up in that pew right there,” she said. “Not in this church, but I come from a ministry family.”
John's story reveals that her grandfather was a minister in Kewadin and Northport. She said the vision of leadership passed on from her elders continues to inspire her today.
“Traditionally … your wealth was determined not by what you would accumulate and what you would have, but you were measured by what you were giving away,” John said. “I think about what the world would look like and how different we would be if that were applied today.”
Even though they’re short, the stories in this room dive into deep topics — cancer, war, religion, mental health. John said those conversations can be uncomfortable, but they’re important and worth the effort.
“There's going to be disagreement,” she said. “There's going to be points where we don't always see eye to eye. And the point is to keep talking, to keep discussing, to sit with that uncomfortable [feeling] because that's what being in community is.”
Even though the exhibit will close Nov. 3, the photos and stories are available online at Leelanau Indivisible's website.
