The earliest evidence of human presence on the Apostle Islands dates to approximately 5,000 years ago when seasonal fishers utilized the cluster of islands that we call the Apostles and that the Ojibwe people call the Wenabozho Islands.
From these early peoples to the park visitors of today, successive generations have left their imprint on the islands, resulting in a rich tapestry of cultural resources and human experiences.
This presentation will look at the Lakeshore’s half century of efforts to study, understand, and steward these resources as well as the constant interplay between the island landscape, Lake Superior, and the islands’ human inhabitants.
David Cooper, Apostle Islands NL
Presenter biography:
David Cooper is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore’s cultural resource manager and archaeologist.
He has also served as archaeologist and Chief of Resource Management for Grand Portage National Monument, ten years as State Underwater Archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Underwater Archaeologist for the US Navy.
He has done archaeological work across the United States, as well as in Great Britain and the Caribbean. His academic training includes undergraduate work at UWMadison and University of Warwick (UK), and graduate work at East Carolina University. He has worked for the National Park Service for 22 years and lives in Bayfield, WI.
To sample more sessions choose below
50 Years of Archeology at the Apostle Islands
A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL
A singing wilderness: Songbirds of the Apostle Islands
A Vulnerability Assessment for Terrestrial Ecosystems
American Martens on the Apostle Islands
Amphibians of the Apostle Islands
Apostle Islands Flora
Emerging Water Resource Issues in the Apostle Islands
Fifty Years of Cultural Resource Research at Apostle Islands NL
Gaylord Nelson: mover, shaker, deal-maker
Longitudinal Trends and Ecology of the Small Mammal Community
New Insights Into the Dynamics of Apostle Islands Carnivore Communities
Past, Present and Future of Fire in the Apostle Islands
Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands
Past, present, and future of piping plovers in the Apostle Islands
Resiliency and vulnerability of Apostle Islands coastal wetlands
Through the eyes of 4th graders
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Under the surface and Zaaga’igan Ma’iinganag (lakewolves)
