ATTENTION 5th Graders Practicing Indian Lore Save Today for an Incredible Trip to Israel At Camp Tanuga and in Ontario's Algonquin wilderness, the Indian god Wakonda watches all. .................... MARCIA DANNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS C With matching contributions from the Ben Teitel Charitable Trust, you can save as much as 1,750 For additional information and an application form, please contact your rabbi, religious school principal or The Agency for Jewish Education (Ben Teitel Incentive Savings Plan Administrator) 1, ivrei • at ti t • (810) 354-1050 Member agency of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit 4 c4rivese Sailing Swimming Tripping Canoeing Water Skiing ot ta) i a) ON. LAKE COUCHICHING A UNIQUE SPIRITED CAMP FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 6-15 jo il Ait 6414°" 7, 4 & 3 WEEK PERIODS 10 Day Mini Sessions PLUS • 40 yrs. Nashman Family Original Owners/Directors • 150 Acres . . .Magnificent Crystal Clear Lake • 1 1/2 hours from Toronto • Complete Waterfront, Creative Arts & Landsports Facilities • Enthusiastic, Caring Staff • Shabbat Dinner . . .Friday Services • Great Food Professionally Staffed • C/) w Ci) w F- CC LU U U 0 L/) -as LLI I- 02 r7z4 BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL CAMP Offered in 3 Week Session For information contact our Detroit representative Deby Gannes at (810) 851-0040 or call our Toll Free voice mail 1-800-866-8170 Theatre Science Dance C.I.T. Program Windsurfing ustoms and ceremonies based on nature and Indi- an legend are often part of the camp experience. So are the scary ghost stories told by the campfire. These traditions and tales, based on imagination rather than fact, can be found. at Camp Tanuga in northern Michi- gan and at Tamakwa and Arowhon in Ontario's Algonquin Park. Some stories serve as an ex- planation of how a lake or other geographical feature got its name. Others glorify the animals that dominate the region's woods and waters. Some legends recall the plight of earlier inhabitants. But whether inspiring or a little fore- boding, camp stories build spir- it and create a sense of adventure. C. Camp Tamakwa's Voyageur I cabin. Jacques' injuries to a fight that ensued after the contest. In re- venge, the deformed lumberjack went on a rampage with his axe and torched the logging camp. To- day, traces of the burnt structure remain and the site is called Burnt Island. Another prevailing story is the one about the red rock cliff, called Blood Rock, so named because Jacques, the Mad Axeman threw seven people off the cliff. Accord- ing to legend, neither Jacques' body nor his canoe were ever found. He's still roaming the woods or canoeing the waters with an axe for a paddle. Animal tales also abound. Ac- cording to Tamakwa director David Bale, anyone who was at Tamakwa before the mid-'70s has a tale about a bear. Stories — some fact, some fiction — spread whenever an occasional bear wandered into camp looking for berries and garbage barrels. However, bear lore at Tamakwa has been in hibernation since the mid-'70s, when the camp started moving all garbage across the lake every night to huge dump- sters. Loons, noted for their wild calls, remain a source of Algo- nquin nature lore at Tamakwa. To create an eerie mood on a camp-out, counselors might imi- tate the loon's call or tell stories about a cult in which worshippers left sacrificial animal bones on loon nests. The legend also says diving loons can cause canoes to tip over. Algonquin Tales The campers and canoe trip- pers who come to Ontario's Al- gonquin wilderness witness the area's natural beauty, a creation attributed to Wakonda, the Indi- an god. The Algonquin area, which encompasses 3,000 square miles of protected forest and 2,000 lakes, became Canada's first provincial park 100 years ago and has since become the home of Tamakwa, Arowhon and other camps for young people. One of Camp Tamakwa's prominent landmarks is the "Lone Pine" on the shoreline of South Tea Lake. The tree and its breathtaking surroundings are said to be the handiwork of Wakonda. A favorite tradition at Tamak- wa is chanting the camp cheer at a site called 'The Slope." The hill- side campfire situated on the wa- terfront offers a beautiful vantage point and the added dimension of an echoing effect. According to camper Andrew Goldsweig, 13, of Farmington Hills, the most famous ghost sto- ry of Algonquin Park is "Jacques, the Mad Axeman." Andrew, who has been a camper at both Tamakwa and Arowhon, says each camp tells the tale of the French Canadian lumberjack, but the details vary. Tanuga Magic Jacques, from the backwoods Tanuga, a word of Indian and of Quebec, set off to work for an Hebrew derivation, means hap- Algonquin logging company py or special place. Director Sid when he turned 21. As the Freedman says Indian lore at strongest lumberjack around, he Camp Tanuga in Kalkaska helps won the tree-cutting contest be- convey a sense of family and tween the East and West. But his friendship and the concept of opponent caused a tree to crash working together and achieving down on him, crushing his right leg and cutting off one arm. The goals. `Wakonda, the Indian god, Arowhon version attributes