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On Thursday, May 23, Keweenaw National Historical Park is hosting a naturalization ceremony at the Calumet Visitor Center. Approximately 30 individuals from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will become naturalized citizens in this historic building located in downtown Calumet.
The Honorable R. Allan Edgar, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, will preside as the petitioners for United States citizenship take the oath of citizenship. Park Superintendent Wyndeth Davis and Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission Chair, Dave Geisler will provide remarks, along with Mick Dedvukaj, District Director, Great Lakes District of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
USCIS is committed to elevating the importance of the naturalization ceremony as a venue to recognize the rights, responsibilities, and importance of citizenship and provide access to services for new citizens. The naturalization ceremony is the culmination of the naturalization process. USCIS aims to make administrative naturalization ceremonies positive and memorable moments in the lives of the participants. USCIS honors the Oath of Allegiance with policies and practices that reflect the importance of the occasion.
The ceremony begins at 12:00 noon with new citizen check-in at 11:30am. Very limited seating is available to the public with reserved seating provided for those becoming citizens and up to two family or friends in attendance. Parking is available in public parking lots near the Visitor Center and throughout downtown Calumet.
The ceremony will be videotaped by the Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw High School technology class and made available to all U.P. schools via MiStreamNet, a Department of Education website. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony, courtesy of park volunteers and the Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association. The Calumet Visitor Center will be open from 10:00am – 4:00pm for this special event.
