Empowering People and Inspiring Change
The legions of tourists who visit Manistique, Mich., each year invariably head to the city’s best known recreational sites including the Seney Wildlife Refuge, multiple lighthouses, a shoreline boardwalk and the Hiawatha National Forest, which gets over 1.5 million visits a year. And while those stops offer great views, fine fishing and some of the prettiest walks in the U.S., it will take a visit to the three miles of new sidewalks, the weekly school-based Zumba classes and walking groups and the newly created farmers’ markets to truly see the most exciting things happening to the city of Manistique and its almost 4,000 residents.
In just the last four years, Manistique has made great progress toward improving the health of the entire community, with a targeted focus on increasing access to physical activity and healthier foods. This effort was powered initially by funding from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to the Sault (pronounced Sioux) tribe, who have members living on a reservation in the area, as well as integrated within the greater community.