MARQUETTE -- Lake Superior Region Indivisible (LSRI) members participated in the national Indivisible group's June 14 Rise Up, Sing Out pro-democracy day with a potluck picnic of fellowship, music and food at the Lakenenland Sculpture Park near Marquette.
LSRI defines itself as follows: "We are a 100 percent volunteer grassroots organization located in Michigan’s Congressional District 1. Through civic engagement, collective action, and community partnerships, LSRI works locally to build a movement that pushes back against authoritarianism, upholds democracy, and centers power where it should be -- with the people."*
Keweenaw Now happened to be in Marquette on Sunday, June 14, and visited Lakenenland, where we had an opportunity to speak with some LSRI members and to discover the Sculpture Park.
Tina Taylor of Marquette, a member of the LSRI Steering Committee told Keweenaw Now about some of the group's current actions, which are intended to inform voters on who the candidates are and what they stand for. They also plan to let voters know what issues are being voted on.
"Our focus right now is gearing up toward election security," Taylor said.
She noted LSRI is forming a Rapid Response Team with a goal of ensuring that people can vote in the general election. For example, should voters have some difficulty in getting to the polls, the Team would have people available to help.
The next LSRI meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 22, in the Community Room of the Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front Street, Marquette, MI. The focus of the meeting will be on the upcoming local, state and national elections -- both primary and general elections.
Tina also mentioned LSRI's weekly Visibility Brigade at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays in Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming as well as their Armchair Action Committee that sends out information on things you can do from home. See their June 16, 2026, Newsletter for information on these.
"Every week there's a new topic [for the Armchair Action]," Tina added. "We're trying to encourage citizens to engage with their government."
Jennifer (Jenn) Hill -- former Michigan State Representative for Michigan's 109th House District which covers the counties of Alger, Marquette, Baraga and the eastern two-thirds of Dickinson -- was present at the LSRI gathering and picnic. Jenn said she is now working part-time for Up North Advocacy, working on keeping elections safe.
A graduate of Barnard College, Jenn Hill studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she completed a masters in planning to study how communities can make sustainable decisions. After working in Massachusetts to start nonprofits in environmental business and advocacy, public health, and science education, she returned to the Midwest. She and her husband have been full-time Marquette residents since 2014. Besides coordinating workshops on energy costs and climate change, Jenn helped establish the City of Marquette’s first Public Arts policy and served on the Marquette City Commission from 2018-2022.**
Jenn spoke with Keweenaw Now about her work with Up North Advocacy to recruit poll challengers -- people who are trained to help citizens have legal access to voting.
Jennifer Hill, former Michigan State Representative for Michigan's 109th House District, who is now working for Up North Advocacy, speaks at a gathering of Lake Superior Region Indivisible on June 14, 2026. She is working to keep elections safe. (Video by Keweenaw Now)One concerned citizen who attended the LSRI gathering said she attended the Indivisible event because the situation under the present government was affecting her health.
"I've got lots of grandkids, and to look at them growing up in a country with a dictatorship made me so sad and concerned," said Pat Lakenen, mother of Tom Kakenen, owner and artist of the Lakenenland Sculpture Park.
Tom Lakenen spoke with Keweenaw Now about his political views, some of which are expressed in the sculptures along the trail in the park. He related an unfortunate experience this winter when snowmobilers vandalized his anti-ICE sculptures three times and destroyed not only the sculptures but also the lean-to and fire pit he had set up for winter visitors.
Several of the sculptures Tom has created for his trail in the park include political statements. Below are some photos of these: (Click on photos for larger versions.)
Thanks to LSRI members Carla and Gene Champagne of Big Bay for inviting Keweenaw Now to the LSRI gathering and picnic.
"We're still fighting for democracy," Carla Champagne said.
Gene Champagne added, "It pisses me off when people game the system and try to thwart democracy through cheating and misinformation. We need to get the money out of politics and ban gerrymandering nationwide."
One of several LSRI members who volunteered to make the Rise Up, Sing Out picnic possible was Charmaine Martin of Marquette, who spent the afternoon cooking burgers, including some delicious vegan veggie burgers and other grilled meat substitutes over the fire.
Tom Lakenen's Sculpture Park, where the sculptures are made of scrap iron, also provides a rock pavilion with a fireplace that exemplifies his philosophy of re-use and recycling.
Tom described to Keweenaw Now how he used a gift from a generous donor and help from friends with access to free reusable or leftover building materials to build the pavilion.
"Around 2008, Oberstar trucking delivered free, about 10 loads of big rock they dug out of a nearby foundation and shortly afterwards a company plowing fiber optic cable delivered 8 more loads free. The rock sat and the rain eventually washed all the dirt off them when the very generous Doctor by the name of Ken Buran came by in early 2012," Tom told Keweenaw Now. "Ken enjoyed the park and gave me twelve thousand dollars to start on the pavilion."
In 2013 a friend in Rapid River who buys returned or damaged building materials had collected oddball miscellaneous colored shingles for him. Tom said he traded his friend some lumber and miscellaneous iron for the colored shingles and used them for the roof of the pavilion.
"I made 3 pallets full of shingles in piles of 7 all different colors. When we did the roof I raised a pallet and worked a row of 7 shingles across the roof nailing down whatever color come off the pile, then another row etc.," Tom explained. "I should also mention, the fire brick is left over from one of the kilns from the iron mines, a buddy gave me, and the flue is 2 10" stainless steel pipe I got from the paper mill in Ontonagon!"***
The $12,000 donation was the entire cost of building the pavilion, Tom concluded.
Editor's Notes:
* Learn more about Lake Superior Region Indivisible (LSRI) by visiting their Web site: https://lsr-indivisible.org/ .
** Click here to read more about Jenn Hill's educational background and work as a Michigan State Representative (2023-24) for House District 109.
*** Visit the Lakenenland Web site for videos of Tom Lakenen creating his sculptures from scrap iron, more photos of the sculptures along the trail, and more features of the park for the whole family to enjoy.
