‘They’re listening to our voice’

As part of Enbridge’s Great Lakes Tunnel Project, Native American-owned businesses 7^th Legacy, LLC and Dirt Divers Cultural Resource Management are carrying out archeological and cultural surveys, and Tribal monitoring, at the Straits of Mackinac. More than half of the project’s crew are enrolled Tribal members, “and that’s extremely important—to hear their voice, and use their knowledge in identifying cultural resources that are important to them,” says Gina, a senior environmental analyst with Enbridge. “A lot of people don’t know what harvested birch bark looks like . . . they look right past that stuff. Boom—we just identified a cultural resource property,” says James, a chief foreman with Dirt Divers, adding that Enbridge is “so open-minded to the type of work we do, respecting ceremonies and such. They care. They’re listening to our voice.”