Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE — Chautauqua-Wawasee invites the community to a free program that brings local history to life in a way everyone can understand.
Join them Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, 11586 Ind. 13, Syracuse, to learn about the land we live on — and the people who have called it home for hundreds of years.
Guest speaker Dr. Luke Gascho will share how his curiosity about the history of his hometown led him to uncover the path of an ancient trail used by the Myaamia (Miami) and Bodewadmi (Potawatomi). people. This trail once connected what we now know as Fort Wayne and Chicago —long before modern roads existed.
During the program, Gascho will help attendees understand:
• What this land was like before 1492
• How settlers came to this area
• How Native American tribes and settlers lived and interacted
• What the rediscovery of this historic trail means for us today
• Simple ways we can build better relationships with Indigenous people and care for the land
Gascho brings years of experience as a teacher and leader. He served for more than two decades as executive director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center at Goshen College and led programs focused on caring for the environment and building strong communities. Today, he continues to share his knowledge through speaking and community work.
This program is an opportunity for families, students and community members to learn together, ask questions and see history in a new way.
Admission is free, and all are welcome.
