Photo of the Week

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Entertainment. Discussion »

On Wednesday morning, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe, Ogitch-E-Da – the Gun Lake Tribe Color Guard – performed a "Send Off" ceremony from the Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, Michigan for the "Cost of Freedom" traveling exhibit that is a 80 percent scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Lorraine 'Punkin' & Dave Shananquet at Send Off

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall displays 58,253 names of United States soldiers who died and those missing in action during the Vietnam Conflict.

During the Send Off ceremony, a crowd gathered around a tent in the parking lot of the Gun Lake Casino to hear speakers and the Sons of the Three Fires Drum perform honor songs. Among the drummers was Dave Shananaquet, who also is a talented Native artist.

Lorraine "Punkin" Shananaquet, who serves on the Gun Lake Tribal Council and as the Tribe's Behavioral Health/Human Services Coordinator, attended the ceremony as a representative of the Tribe.

Dave and Punkin have been married 31 years and have two grown children. This couple is well respected and known throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond.

This photo was taken as the couple stood together on a slight hill awaiting the departure as some 220 motorcyclists revved their engines as they formed a line to lead the traveling exhibit to its next destination.

Posted first on the Native News Network's Facebook page, it quickly became popular.

posted July 28, 2012 6:30 am edt