Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park

Park in Michigan, USA

Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is a state park in the U. S. state of Michigan. The park, also known as ezhibiigadek asin (Ojibwe for "written on stone")

The petroglyphs include depictions of the religious and cultural knowledge of Great Lakes Native American tribes. Among the depictions of swirls, lines, handprints, and living beings are:
Ebmodaakowet, the archer who shoots knowledge into the future;
Migizi Inini, the Eagle Man, who looks to the east–the direction of the new day–and flies over to ensure people are following traditions and teachings;
Mishibizhew, the water panther, who protects the waters of the Great Lakes. The state has made a series of improvements to the site to protect the slab, including a wooden pavilion erected in the mid 1990s and a chain link fence surrounding the petroglyph site. In 2018, Michigan Department of Transportation specialists used Lidar along with detailed close up photographs to collect approximately 3 billion information points and map the site to accuracy in the millimeter range, revealing details that would not be apparent to the unaided human eye. From this collection of data, The resultant digital models will document the site and can be used to track changes in the petroglyphs over time.

The sandstone slab in which the petroglyphs were carved is fragile and subject to weathering and other environmental forces. It has been walked upon and vandalized with graffiti over the years; someone, long ago prior to the 1920s, chipped out an entire symbol and the surrounding rock for a keepsake. The most recent act of vandalism occurred in 2017 when three images were carved on the rock by unknown individuals. This human activity combined with natural weathering has made the actual petroglyphs difficult for visitors to see. Specialists are concerned that unless more is done to preserve the carvings better, they will be gone by the late 21st century. green heron, and belted kingfisher. Additionally, numerous outcrops of Marshall Sandstone are visible, as is the site of a 19th century logging camp. Signs placed along the trail interpret points of natural and historical interest.

On December 2, 2019, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Saginaw Chippewa Nation signed a memorandum of understanding to co manage the park. This historic agreement marks the first state tribal co management of a Michigan state park.