[hi]stories that matter

Wahnabezee and the future [hi]stories of place is a project supporting the co-creation and circulation of community narratives along the waters of the Detroit River. Wahnabezee, also known as Belle Isle Park, is an enchanted island, a real site and an imagined place, and a fluid commons of sorts. For centuries, the island has served as refuge and sanctuary, a shared natural resource for humans and non-human species alike.

Through the collection and circulation of real and imagined narratives, memories, images, maps and other traces, we aim to steward the future of the public park as a pluralistic cultural commons, a place of belonging and wonder.

A mother reminisces about her trips to Wahnabezee, and how she passed on those memories to her own children.
A young woman shares her family connection to Wahnabezee.
Tutorial for making an origami Koi fish in honor of the 2023 Koi Festival on Belle Isle.