© Michael KranszA depiction of a cat which Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials say was scrawled onto a sandstone rock that holds carvings made by Native Americans hundreds of years ago.
In what officials are calling a "senseless act of vandalism," depictions of a cat, a mushroom and another image were scrawled into the sandstone of the Sanilac Petroglyphs, the DNR reported Friday, Sept. 8.
"We are all deeply saddened by this disrespectful act," said Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan History Center, which interprets the petroglyphs for the public at the state park near Cass City.
"The petroglyphs were created by people who lived in what is now Michigan centuries ago," Clark said. "They are part of all of our history, and they have a deep spiritual meaning for many Anishinabek who live in the Great Lakes Region today."
The DNR did not state whether the vandalism could be scrubbed from the outcropping of sandstone, which features more than 100 petroglyphs.
Researchers believe Native Americans carved the petroglyphs, which include spirals, bow-wielding humans, birds in flight and more, hundreds of years ago.
© Michael Kransz
"The Sanilac Petroglyphs are one of the most important connections we have to our past within the region," said Frank Cloutier, chief of the tribe. "The stories that are handed down from generation to generation thread our past to the present. We need to preserve diba jimooyung ('telling our stories')."
Anyone with information about those who defaced the petroglyphs can call or text the DNR Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800.
Information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals may qualify for a reward, the DNR states.
Further information was not available at this time.
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